A new class of baseball greats will take their place at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in July.
This year's ballot did not feature any first-year candidates as compelling as Ichiro Suzuki or even CC Sabathia, who were elected last year. That opened the door for candidates who had spent multiple years on the ballot, including ninth-year candidate Andruw Jones, to potentially have a clearer path to the Hall.
Carlos Beltran, meanwhile, came painfully close to being elected a year ago and entered the process this year as the favorite to lead all candidates in votes.
The modern-era inductees will be joined by Jeff Kent, who was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December.
Here's a look at who MLB writers voted into the Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2026.
MORE: Mets lineup projection with Bo Bichette
MLB Hall of Fame class of 2026
This section will be updated when the Baseball Hall of Fame class is revealed after 6 p.m. ET.
Who is on next year's Hall of Fame ballot?
Before Albert Pujols (2028) and Miguel Cabrera (2029) become eligible for the Hall of Fame, 2027 will bring one more year without an all-time great on the ballot. That doesn't mean no first-year candidate will be elected, though.
Here are a few of the first-year candidates for 2027, who will join every candidate from this year's ballot who received more than five percent of the vote without being elected:
- C Buster Posey
- SP Jon Lester
- SP Jake Arrieta
- 3B Ryan Zimmerman
- RP Andrew Miller
- 3B Kyle Seager
Former San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey is likely to have strong support despite a relatively short career. A former MVP and three-time World Series champion, Posey was an All-Star seven times and was perhaps baseball's best all-around catcher at his peak. Whether his counting stats are enough to put him in on the first ballot will be the biggest question.
Lester might have a challenging path to the Hall of Fame, but his body of work and multiple championships should allow him to stay on the ballot long-term.
Outside of Lester, it's tough to find many viable candidates. Jake Arrieta's peak with the Chicago Cubs was undeniable but short, while injuries damaged what could have been a potential case for Ryan Zimmerman.