4 storylines to watch on 2027 Hall of Fame ballot

With Tuesday night’s announcement that Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is complete.

Beltrán and Jones join former All-Star second baseman Jeff Kent, who was elected last month by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, as the players who will be inducted at Cooperstown this summer.

With the 2026 Class determined, it’s time to look ahead to the ’27 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot. Which returning players could potentially be elected next year? Which players stand to continue gaining in the voting, to the point that they might one day be voted in?

And what about ballot newcomers? There’s at least one who could conceivably be elected on his first ballot. Here’s a look at some compelling storylines for the 2027 Hall of Fame ballot.

Chasing Cooperstown: Is 2027 the year for Utley?

Chase Utley, who was a six-time All-Star second baseman whose best years came with the Phillies, garnered 59.1% of this year’s vote, jumping nearly 20% from 39.8% in 2025.

Over a 16-year Major League career from 2003-18, Utley produced an .823 OPS (117 OPS+) with 259 home runs and 64.6 bWAR. He was a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner and helped Philadelphia win the 2008 World Series.

Thanks to his prowess at the plate and strong defense at second base, only one position player -- Albert Pujols (52.1) -- had more bWAR than Utley’s 45.5 from 2005-10.

Utley belted 10 postseason homers, including a World Series-record-tying five in 2009 against the Yankees, placing him in a class of three along with Reggie Jackson (1977) and George Springer (2017).

As he enters his fourth year on the BBWAA ballot (each candidate has 10 years of eligibility), Utley’s current trajectory suggests that he has a strong chance at eventually being elected.

Could that election come as early as next year? Given how much he has jumped in the balloting in such a short time, it’s certainly possible.

Which players will continue to gain momentum toward election?

The leaders in this category are former starting pitchers Andy Pettitte and Félix Hernández, who continue to see their candidacies gain significant momentum.

Pettitte, who was on his eighth ballot this year, has seen his support grow substantially over the past couple of years. In 2024, the left-hander received just 13.5% of the vote, but that figure jumped to 27.9% in ’25, and 48.5% this year.

A core member of the Yankees’ dynasty at the turn of the century, Pettitte helped New York win four World Series championships in five years from 1996-2000, and he won another World Series ring in ’09, the last time the Yanks won it all.

Over 18 big league seasons, Pettitte won 256 games and had a 3.85 ERA (117 ERA+). He made 44 starts in the postseason, posting a 3.81 ERA over 276 2/3 innings.

Pettitte was named the 2001 American League Championship Series MVP after making two starts against the 116-win Mariners over which he gave up four runs in 14 1/3 innings, including 6 1/3 strong frames in the Game 5 pennant clincher.

While Pettitte has seen his support grow rapidly, he’ll hope it isn’t too late in his candidacy, as he will be entering his ninth year of eligibility in 2027.

Hernández saw a huge gain this year, going from 20.6% on his first ballot in 2025 to 46.1% this time around. The right-hander spent his entire 15-year career with the Mariners and came to be known as “King Félix.”

A six-time All-Star, Hernández led the Majors with a 2.27 ERA and was named the AL Cy Young Award winner in 2010. He finished among the top eight in Cy Young voting six times and finished with a career 3.42 ERA (117 ERA+).

Hernández also threw the 23rd perfect game in AL/NL history against the Rays in Seattle on Aug. 15, 2012.

Still only entering his third year on the ballot, Hernández is looking good in his bid for Cooperstown.

Is Posey a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

Among the potential first-time candidates in 2027, there is one who has a legitimate chance to not only be elected to Cooperstown, but possibly even on his first ballot.

Buster Posey, who will be 39 years old when the next BBWAA Hall of Fame election results are announced, will be eligible for the first time after retiring following the 2021 season.

Now the president of baseball operations for the Giants, Posey became a franchise icon during his time behind the plate for San Francisco from 2009-21. As a rookie in 2010, he guided a young and uber-talented pitching staff while posting an .862 OPS at the plate to help the Giants win their first World Series title in 56 years.

Over the next four years, Posey was at the heart of two more championship teams in 2012 and ’14. In 2012, he won both the National League batting title and the NL MVP Award. He also earned the first of seven career All-Star selections.

With three World Series rings, an MVP Award, a batting title, a Gold Glove Award, seven All-Star selections and five Silver Slugger Awards, Posey certainly has the accolades to make his case for Cooperstown a good one.

As far as the overall stats go, Posey’s 12 seasons (1,371 games) and 158 home runs don’t necessarily scream “Hall of Famer.” But he did finish with a career .831 OPS (129 OPS+) and was above the average Hall of Fame catcher in bWAR/162 games (5.3) and seven-year peak bWAR (36.5).

As has become a familiar element of Hall of Fame voting in recent years, one of the central questions regarding Posey’s candidacy is: How much does a tremendous peak and status as a franchise icon outweigh a relatively short career?

One thing is for certain: Joe Mauer’s first-ballot election two years ago bodes well for Posey. Also a catcher who played for one club during his entire career, Mauer shares many similarities with Posey. The Twins great posted an .827 OPS (124 OPS+) with 143 home runs, won an MVP Award and earned six All-Star nods.

What about other first-time candidates?

Other notable names that could appear for the first time on the BBWAA ballot next year include Jay Bruce, Brett Gardner, Kyle Seager, Ryan Zimmerman and Jordan Zimmermann. Other than Posey, another player who has a chance to be elected to Cooperstown is former All-Star pitcher Jon Lester.

Over a 16-year career spanning from 2006-21, Lester posted a 3.66 ERA (117 ERA+) with 2,488 strikeouts and won exactly 200 games against 117 losses. The left-hander was a clutch postseason hurler, pitching to a 2.51 ERA over 154 innings during the playoffs. He won World Series championships with the Red Sox in 2007 and ’13, and helped the Cubs break a 108-year title drought in ’16.

Lester doesn’t have the accolades that a typical Hall of Fame pitcher might have -- he was a five-time All-Star and co-MVP of the 2016 NLCS, but as far as “black ink” (categories in which he led the league or the Majors during his career), he’s lacking.

Still, Lester did finish among the top five in Cy Young Award voting three times and there are pitchers in the Hall of Fame who rank below him in the JAWS Hall of Fame evaluation model, including Jack Morris and Catfish Hunter.