Ryan Braun, Rick Porcello Highlight 2026 Hall of Fame Ballot

The National Baseball Hall of Fame has released the 2026 ballot, which includes 12 first-time eligible players. The list was announced on Monday in Cooperstown, New York, and will be sent to more than 400 members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) for voting. Headlining the new candidates are former Most Valuable Player Ryan Braun and former Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello.

Ryan Braun played his entire 14-year career with the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the National League MVP in 2011 after hitting .332 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs. The next season, Braun finished second in MVP voting after leading the league in runs (108) and home runs (41), while driving in 112 RBIs. He recorded at least 100 RBIs in five consecutive seasons. Despite his on-field achievements, Braun may face scrutiny due to a 65-game suspension in 2013 related to performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

Rick Porcello was the American League Cy Young Award winner in 2016. That season, he posted a 22-4 record with a 3.15 ERA and led MLB with a 5.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio while playing for the Boston Red Sox. However, Porcello struggled in 2017, leading the majors in losses (17) and home runs allowed. He is among the most notable pitchers on the 2026 ballot.

In addition to Braun and Porcello, first-time candidates include outfielders Matt Kemp, Shin-Soo Choo, Nick Markakis, and Hunter Pence; infielders Howie Kendrick and Daniel Murphy; designated hitter-infielder Edwin Encarnacion; outfielder-infielder Alex Gordon; and pitchers Cole Hamels and Gio Gonzalez. These players join 15 holdovers from the 2025 ballot who received enough votes to stay on.

To be elected to the Hall of Fame, a player must receive at least 75% of the votes cast. Players who do not reach this threshold may appear on the ballot again for up to 10 years, provided they earn at least 5% of the vote. Last year, Ichiro Suzuki was inducted, receiving votes on 99.7% of ballots, along with CC Sabathia (86.8%) and Billy Wagner (82.5%).

Other players in consideration include Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones, who came close to election in previous years with 70.3% and 66.2% of the vote, respectively. This year marks the final ballot for Manny Ramirez, who received 34.3% last year. Despite his impressive stats — .312 career batting average, 2,574 hits, 555 home runs, 1,831 RBIs, and two World Series titles — Ramirez’s past PED suspensions have limited his chances. Alex Rodriguez also faces similar scrutiny with 37.1% of votes in the previous year.

Several prominent players are holdovers on the ballot, including pitchers Mark Buehrle, Felix Hernandez, Andy Pettitte, and Francisco Rodriguez; infielders Dustin Pedroia, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Omar Vizquel, and David Wright; and outfielders Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter. Voting results for the 2026 Hall of Fame class will be announced on January 20, and the induction ceremony is scheduled for July 27 in Cooperstown.