Dean's 2026 Hall of Fame Ballot

A Blog By Dean

Hello there, and welcome to my 2026 Hall of Fame ballot. If you have been following, this is the third year I will be giving my picks as to who I think should be immortalized in Cooperstown. Now, unlike past years, I do not have any new players checked off. I am sticking with three guys that had my vote last year, and I will not be adding any others. So, let me address my mindset before I break those three down.

1. I do not vote for any players who took steroids (sorry).

   1. Whether you like it or not, they cheated, and the argument that “everyone was cheating then” never works for me. I align with Joe Morgan, who in 2017 wrote an open letter to the voters stating how many of the members were against the steroid users.

   2. I also believe that IF steroid users get in, it has to start with Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Now, Bonds might get in this year, which will make my stance null and void. Until then, I will not be putting any of the proven steroid users on my ballots.

2. I do not know what to do with the “new age of pitchers” that will be entering the hall.

   1. I put Sabathia on my ballot last year, and I knew that the standards for what a Hall of Fame pitcher is would need to change. However, I feel that Felix Hernandez does not reach the mark. He had three great years, with some other solid ones mixed in, followed by a huge drop-off at a young age.

   2. I think the new standard will be “peak peak” dominance, like what Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes are doing right now. I do not see Skubal hitting any milestones in terms of counting numbers (wins, strikeouts, etc.) But he might retire with three Cy-Young awards and a five-year run of being the absolute best pitcher in baseball. Players like that, I think, will get in.

3. In terms of other hitters, maybe Bobby Abreu?

   1. The hitters who are listed are pretty weak. I can see a world where Bobby Abreu gets in on the Veterans Committee one day. He was never the best player in the league, but he had a long, consistent career.

Alright, here are

Andruw Jones

This will be the third time I vote for Andruw Jones. A lot of people on X were going after me for voting for Jones and not going for Sheffield in years past. Again, I am not going to vote for someone who was linked to steroids.

Positives

• 10 straight Gold Gloves

• 434 Home Runs

• Peak seven-year WAR, which puts him with some of the GOAT CFs including Mays, Cobb, Speaker, Mantle, DiMaggio, Snider, and Trout

Negatives

• Huge drop off

• No MVP

• No World Series

• Struck out A LOT

• Hit over .280 only once in career.

Dustin Pedroia

I will acknowledge that this is a homer pick. But it is my list, so back off.

Positives:

• 2008 AL MVP: Proved himself as the best player in baseball that year.

• 4 Gold Gloves: Elite defensive second baseman.

• 3 World Series Titles (2007, 2013, 2018): More than anyone on this list.

• Career .299 Batting Average

• Rookie of the Year (2007)

• WAR 7: This is one of two analytical stats made to compare HOFers. Pedroia sits at 16th all-time. The only players ahead of him that are not HOFers are Utley and Cano. He has a better WAR7 than a number of old-time HOFers as well.

• JAWS: Pedroia’s JAWS is 46.5. Again, this puts him smack in the middle of a number of HOF 2B. The only players ahead of him are Lou Whitaker, Bobby Grich, Chase Utley, and Willie Randolph.

  • If you know ball, then you know that Whitaker and Randolph will get in eventually on some committee. Grich is also one of those players who, in the age of saber metrics, has been labeled as a snub.

  • What I am trying to say is that the idea that Pedroia stands no chance at Cooperstown is unjust. Will he get in? Probably not. Injuries derailed those chances.

Negatives:

• Injury-Plagued Career: Knee injuries significantly shortened his prime.

• Only 1,805 Career Hits: Limited career totals due to injuries.

• Short Peak

Carlos Beltran

Positives:

• 435 Home Runs: One of the most powerful switch-hitters in baseball history.

  • 4th All-Time amongst switch hitters. Trails only Mantle, Murray, and Jones. All of whom are in the hall.

• 9 All-Star Appearances

• 3 Gold Gloves

• 8-time 20/20 Season

  • 4th All-Time behind Bobby Bonds, Barry Bonds, and Bobby Abreu.

• Career WAR of 70.1: Places him firmly among Hall of Fame-level outfielders.

• Postseason Numbers: .307 batting average, 16 home runs, and a 1.021 OPS in the playoffs.

Negatives:

• Sign-stealing Scandal: Role in the 2017 Astros cheating scandal has clouded his legacy.

  • This is why I did not vote for him last year.

• No MVP Award: Despite excellent seasons, he never secured an MVP trophy.

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