A look at the best season by each '26 HOF ballot newcomer

The 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame writers' ballot includes 12 first-time candidates. While they all won't end up enshrined in Cooperstown, and while it's possible that none of them will ever be inducted, each of them had at least one season in which they performed at a Hall of Fame level.

Here's a look at the best season for each of the first-timers on this year's BBWAA ballot.

Ryan Braun
2011 (Brewers): .332, 33 HR, 111 RBIs, .994 OPS, 33 SB, 7.7 bWAR

Braun debuted with a bang as the 2007 NL Rookie of the Year and went on to produce a remarkable first six seasons in the bigs. During that stretch, he averaged 34 homers and 107 RBIs, compiled a .943 overall OPS and was an All-Star in five straight seasons. The span was punctuated by his 2011 NL MVP performance, during which Braun hit .332 with 33 homers, 111 RBIs, an NL-best .994 OPS and 33 stolen bases to give him the first of back-to-back 30-30 seasons. It's hard to top an MVP season, but if you prefer Braun's 2012 season, when he had a career-high 41 homers and 112 RBIs, led the league with 356 total bases, made the 30-30 club again and finished second in MVP voting, we'll allow it.

Shin-Soo Choo
2010 (Cleveland): .300, 22 HR, 90 RBIs, .885 OPS, 147 OPS+, 5.9 bWAR

Once he became an everyday player in May 2008 after spending parts of three seasons with the Mariners and Indians, Choo enjoyed a six-season stretch as a highly productive lefty bat. From 2008-13, he averaged an .861 OPS and 137 OPS+ and posted three 20-20 seasons -- the best of which came in 2010, when Choo posted perhaps the most complete offensive season of his career. He had a .300 average and a .401 on-base percentage while clubbing 22 homers and driving in 90 runs for a 147 OPS+. He also stole 22 bases. Choo was one of just two MLB players that season (Carlos Gonzalez) to hit .300 or higher, hit 20 or more homers, drive in 90 or more runs and steal 20 or more bases. The showing earned Choo AL MVP votes for the first of two times in his career.

Edwin Encarnación
2012 (Blue Jays): .280, 42 HR, 110 RBIs, .941 OPS, 153 OPS+, 5.0 bWAR

Encarnación was a veteran of parts of seven MLB seasons before 2012, averaging around 17 homers per season and compiling a .789 OPS from 2005-11 with the Reds and Blue Jays. But everything changed in 2012, when he became a primary DH/first baseman and remade himself into one of baseball's top power hitters. Encarnación finished with 42 dingers and 110 RBIs, leading Toronto in both categories. He was one of three players that season (Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Braun) to hit .280 or higher, with 40 or more homers, 110 or more RBIs and have an OPS of .941 or higher. It was all good for an 11th-place finish in the AL MVP vote. Encarnación would end his career with 424 homers.

Cole Hamels
2011 (Phillies): 14-9, 2.79 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 6.4 bWAR

Hamels was a key part of a Phillies core that won five straight NL East titles from 2007-11 and captured the 2008 World Series championship. The lefty was a three-time All-Star for Philadelphia and received Cy Young votes four times, including a career-best fifth-place finish in 2011, when he was one of three Phillies starters to have a dominant season. Though Hamels' performance was somewhat overshadowed by rotation mates Roy Halladay (19-6; 2.35 ERA) and Cliff Lee (17-8; 2.40 ERA), he allowed the fewest hits of the trio and led the team with a 0.99 WHIP in 216 innings. That WHIP was one percentage point off Clayton Kershaw's NL-best 0.98.

Gio González
2012 (Nationals): 21-8, 2.89 ERA, 207 strikeouts, 2.82 FIP, 5.0 bWAR

González's first season in Washington after parts of four seasons with the A's was quite a productive one. He made a second-straight All-Star appearance on his way to an MLB-best 21 wins and 2.82 FIP while helping lead the Nationals to an NL East title. The lefty's 2.89 ERA would be a career best, as would his 207 strikeouts. González allowed more than three earned runs just six times all season while his 9.3 K/9 ratio was tops in the NL and the third-best mark in baseball. His 1.13 WHIP led Washington's starters and was the best mark of his career. González finished third in NL Cy Young voting and also received MVP votes for the only time in his career. But it's OK if you prefer his 2017 season (15-9, 2.96 ERA, 6.5 bWAR).

Alex Gordon
2011 (Royals): .303, 23 HR, .878 OPS, 140 OPS+, 7.3 bWAR

The Royals were still rebuilding in 2011, but major success was on the horizon. And Gordon's season gave a glimpse of what was to come. The outfielder broke out in a big way, posting career-best totals in average (.303), homers (23), RBIs (87), stolen bases (17) and OPS (.878) and earning his first of what would be eight Gold Glove Awards. His performances earned him MVP votes for the first time and kicked off a five-season stretch in which he averaged 5.3 bWAR per season, made three All-Star appearances and helped the Royals win back-to-back AL pennants and the 2015 World Series title.

Matt Kemp
2011 (Dodgers): .324, 39 HR, 126 RBIs, .985 OPS, 172 OPS+, 8.0 bWAR

Kemp had other good seasons -- he received MVP votes in 2009, for example -- but he went to another level for the Dodgers in 2011, when he was named to his first All-Star team. His NL-best 39 homers and MLB-best 126 RBIs stand out most, but there's a lot more bold type on his Baseball Reference page for that season. He also led the NL in runs (115), OPS+ (172), total bases (353) and bWAR (8.0). Kemp had 57 multi-hit games, including 13 games with three or more hits. In addition, he made the 30-30 club for the first and only time in his career and finished just one homer shy of reaching the 40-40 club. His efforts earned him a second-place finish in the NL MVP race, as well as his second Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.

Howie Kendrick
2019 (Nationals): .344, 17 HR, .967 OPS, 146 OPS+, 2.8 bWAR

Though Kendrick's best season by bWAR came in 2014 with the Angels (6.1), it's hard to not choose 2019 as the overall best of his career. Though injuries limited him to 121 games and 370 plate appearances, Kendrick hit a career-best .344 with a career-high .967 OPS and played a huge role in the Nationals' road to their World Series title, especially in the postseason. He hit a go-ahead 10th inning grand slam to clinch the NLDS against the Dodgers, won NLCS MVP after hitting .333 with a 1.012 OPS against the Cardinals, then hit a go-ahead two-run homer in Game 7 of the World Series against the Astros that propelled Washington to a comeback win and the first championship in franchise history.

Nick Markakis
2008 (Orioles): .306, 20 HR, 87 RBIs, .897 OPS, 136 OPS+, 7.4 bWAR

Markakis had better years by certain key measures (homers, RBIs), but 2008 was the best example of him putting it all together to produce a Hall of Fame-caliber season. The lefty was a complete hitter that season, hitting for average and power and reaching base at an elite clip. His .897 OPS and 136 OPS+ were both career highs, as were his 48 doubles and 106 runs. While his .306 average was a team high, his on-base percentage was perhaps his most impressive stat of the season. At .406, it was a full 100 percentage higher than his batting average -- the largest difference of his career. On defense, Markakis easily led AL right fielders in putouts (327) and led all MLB outfielders in assists (17). The total package produced an AL-best and career-high 7.4 bWAR.

Daniel Murphy
2016 (Nationals): .347, 25 HR, 104 RBIs, 47 2B, .985 OPS, 155 OPS+, 4.7 bWAR

Though Murphy was an All-Star with the Mets in 2014 and was named NLCS MVP in 2015, the degree to which he upped his game in 2016, his first season with the Nats, was impressive. He hit a career-high .347 and finished one percentage point behind DJ LeMahieu for the NL batting title. He hit a career-high 25 homers and led the NL with a career-high 47 doubles, both of which helped land him atop the league with a career-high .595 slugging percentage and, yep, a career-high .985 OPS. Meanwhile, his (career-high) 104 RBIs led all primary MLB second basemen. Murphy earned his second All-Star appearance, won his first Silver Slugger Award and finished second in NL MVP voting.

Hunter Pence
2011 (Astros, Phillies): .314, 22 HR, 97 RBIs, .872 OPS, 139 OPS+, 5.7 bWAR

While Pence had noteworthy seasons as part of Giants championship teams in 2012 and 2014 (including his 1.167 OPS in the 2014 World Series), his most productive year came in 2011, when he performed at a high level for the Astros before upping his game after a Deadline trade to the Phillies. Pence led all MLB right fielders in average (.314) and hits (190), ranked second in on-base percentage (.370), tied for second in RBIs (97) and finished third in OPS (.872). After the July 29 trade to Philadelphia, Pence hit .324 with 11 homers and a .954 OPS in 54 games to help lead the Phillies to a fifth-straight NL East title. He brought significant contributions on defense, too. Despite an unorthodox throwing style, Pence led all NL right fielders with 11 assists.

Rick Porcello
2016 (Red Sox): 22-4, 3.15 ERA, 189 strikeouts, 1.01 WHIP, 4.7 bWAR

It's fitting that Porcello's best season from a personal standpoint also happened to be the year he was deemed the best pitcher in the AL and given the Cy Young Award. Not only that, but his performance was such a turnaround from the previous year (9-15; 4.92 ERA) that he was also named AL Comeback Player of the Year. Aside from his career-high 22 wins, which led baseball, Porcello's 2016 output also set career-bests in ERA (3.15), innings pitched (223), WHIP (1.01) and complete games (three), while he issued the fewest walks of any qualified AL starter (32). Meanwhile, his 26 quality starts were tied for second-most in MLB. Most importantly, the Red Sox went 25-8 in games in which Porcello pitched en route to an AL East title.