CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, and Ichiro Suzuki were voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year. This year was the first time Sabathia and Suzuki were on the ballot. Only 62 players have been elected into the Hall of Fame their first time appearing on the ballot. Could any of next year’s first-time candidates join the exclusive club?
Among notable first-time candidates for 2026 –
- Ryan Braun
- Shin-Soo Choo
- Edwin Encarnación
- Alex Gordon
- Matt Kemp
- Nick Markakis
- Hunter Pence
Among the list of first-time candidates, Braun is the only one with an MVP Award to his name. However, his link to PEDs could impact his ability to be elected. Choo played 16 seasons in the big leagues and carried a .824 career OPS. He hit 218 home runs in his MLB career before spending four seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization with the SSG Landers.
Edwin Encarnación also played 16 seasons in the big leagues. The Dominican Republic native hit 424 home runs in his career and had a 35.5 WAR. 58.6% of all retired players with at least 400 career home runs have been elected to the Hall of Fame. However, being elected in a player’s first year of eligibility is difficult. Of the 34 players to hit at least 400 home runs and get elected into the Hall of Fame, Jimmie Foxx, Harmon Killebrew, Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, Lou Gehrig, Fred McGriff, Jeff Bagwell, Vladimir Guerrero, Andre Dawson, Mike Piazza, Billy Williams and Duke Snider all did not earn a spot on their first try.
