The Hall of Fame's 2026 Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) ballot had Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones leading the way among returning players, while Cole Hamels highlighted the pack the first-year candidates.
Both Beltrán and Jones will be inducted as part of the Class of 2026, so we can now ask the question: Who's next?
With help from Baseball-Reference, here is a preview of each of the next five potential BBWAA ballots, starting with 2027 and ending with 2031. (The projections below are unofficial until each year's ballot is announced. Players must be retired for five seasons and have appeared in the Majors in at least 10 seasons to be eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot.)
2026 Hall of Fame coverage
• Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones earn much-coveted Hall call
• Complete 2026 Hall of Fame voting results
• 6 players trending toward Hall of Fame elections
• Beltrán, Jones join elite club of Hall of Famers born outside the U.S.
• Jones among biggest risers in HOF voting history
• Kent elected to HOF by Contemporary Era committee
• Where does Class of 2026 rank all-time?
• 4 storylines to watch on 2027 Hall of Fame ballot
• Complete Hall of Fame coverage
2027 ballot
Top first-time candidate(s): Buster Posey, Jon Lester
While catchers are a difficult group to judge, Joe Mauer's first-ballot selection in 2024 has to bode well for Posey, who has a similar sort of case as an MVP Award-winning catcher whose peak excellence should overcome his relatively short career. (The three championship rings won't hurt, either.) Lester figures to have a much more difficult time, despite his admirable personal story and impressive postseason credentials. With that said, he could gain support over time if the voting body adjusts its evaluation of starting pitchers to keep up with modern usage patterns.
Other notable first-timers: Jay Bruce, Brett Gardner, Kyle Seager, Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmermann
Gardner's total of 44.3 WAR probably would surprise some people, but excellent defense and baserunning made him a well-rounded player. Zimmerman looked like a potential Hall of Famer in his early 20s, but injuries held him to just 6.4 WAR after his age-28 season.
Final year on the ballot: Omar Vizquel
Vizquel received 18.4% of the vote in 2026, up slightly from the 17.8 he received in 2025. Support for him has plummeted in recent years amid allegations of abuse and misconduct, making election in his final year on the writers' ballot an extreme long shot.
2028 ballot
Top first-time candidate(s): Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina
Pujols reunited with Molina for one last run on the 2022 Cardinals, and now the good friends just might be first-ballot Hall of Famers together in 2028. Pujols is a lock in that respect, with his magical run late in '22 (including reaching the 700-homer mark) just the icing on the cake. Molina will be a more divisive candidate, given that he was a below-average hitter over the course of his career, but his reputation as an all-time great defensive catcher and postseason hero should give him a real chance.
Other notable first-timers: Robinson Canó, David Price, Stephen Strasburg, Lorenzo Cain, Andrelton Simmons, Justin Upton
Canó has the raw numbers to garner serious consideration, but his multiple PED suspensions will be a major issue. Price and Strasburg were both No. 1 overall Draft choices who enjoyed a lot of early-career success but likely did not sustain that for long enough to reach Cooperstown.
Final year on the ballot: Andy Pettitte
Pettitte's support dropped a bit in 2024 (from 17.0% to 13.5%) but surged to 27.9% in 2025 before jumping all the way to 48.5% in 2026. But a lot more voters would have to change their minds about the left-hander to give him a realistic chance.
2029 ballot
Top first-time candidate(s): Miguel Cabrera, Zack Greinke, Joey Votto
Cabrera closed out his sensational career at the end of his 21st season in 2023, and he is certain to waltz into the Hall on his first ballot. Alongside Pujols, the two-time AL MVP Award winner is one of seven players with at least 3,000 hits and 500 homers, and he owns MLB's only hitting Triple Crown since 1967.
Greinke finished with 225 wins, just shy of 3,000 strikeouts, two ERA titles and a Cy Young Award over 20 MLB seasons. While his Hall case would perhaps not quite match those of Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer or Justin Verlander, it should be plenty strong.
Votto did sign a Minor League deal with his hometown Blue Jays before the 2024 season, but after further injuries and struggles, the six-time All-Star first baseman announced his retirement without having gotten back to the Majors. That means he spent each of his 17 MLB seasons with the Reds, who drafted him way back in 2002. Votto won't bring huge counting stats to the ballot (2,135 hits, 356 homers), but he will have a compelling case nonetheless.
Other notable first-timers: Adam Wainwright, Evan Longoria, Madison Bumgarner, Nelson Cruz, Michael Brantley, Josh Donaldson, Corey Kluber, Elvis Andrus
It's not clear that any of these players will make a serious run at getting into Cooperstown, although Wainwright and Longoria would appear to be in the best position to do so after their impressive careers. Bumgarner probably didn't do enough in the regular season, but his October greatness certainly could earn him some consideration. Kluber's two Cy Young Awards stand out, but as a late bloomer who battled significant injuries after age 32, his case is entirely dependent on a brilliant, five-season peak.
Final year on the ballot: Bobby Abreu
Abreu has a fringy case that appears unlikely to land him at 75%, although he has picked up some ground after barely surviving his first ballot in 2020 (5.5%). In 2025, Abreu's support ticked up to 19.5% and then jumped to 30.8% in 2026, but that still leaves a lot of work to do.
2030 ballot
Top first-time candidates: Anthony Rizzo, J.D. Martinez
This could have been an elite class, but the trio of Kershaw, Scherzer and Verlander all kept pitching in 2025, as did the closing duo of Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel. Despite 300-plus homers and a World Series title apiece, neither Rizzo nor Martinez would appear likely to capture widespread support.
Other notable first-timers: Johnny Cueto, José Abreu, Charlie Blackmon, Brandon Crawford, Kevin Kiermaier, Lance Lynn, Matt Carpenter
Not all of these players have officially announced their retirement, but they all are among the notable players who did not play in 2025. A number of them enjoyed long runs with a particular franchise, including Abreu with the White Sox, Blackmon with the Rockies, Carpenter with the Cardinals, Crawford with the Giants and Kiermaier with the Rays.
Anthony Rendon and Dallas Keuchel are two other names to watch, depending on whether either makes it back into a Major League game.
Final year on the ballot: Mark Buehrle
Buehrle generated little momentum in his first five years on the ballot, bouncing around between 5.8% and a high of 11.4% in 2025. But he rose to 20 percent in 2026, a sign that things could be moving in the right direction.
2031 ballot
Top first-time candidates: Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw was about as close as it gets to a Hall of Fame lock once he appeared in his requisite 10th season in 2017. After that year, he already was a three-time Cy Young Award winner and one-time MVP Award winner, with seven All-Star selections, five NL ERA titles and three strikeout titles. While injuries chipped away at Kershaw's playing time after that point, he remained a highly effective pitcher for several more seasons while adding three World Series rings, going back to back in his final two seasons.
Other notable first-timers: Kyle Hendricks, Charlie Morton
This list is far from complete, as there undoubtedly are several notable players we don't yet know of who won't end up appearing in the Majors beyond 2025. For now, though, Hendricks and Morton figure to stand a good chance of getting on the 2031 ballot. Hendricks was a crucial piece of the Cubs' 2016 championship team, finishing third in that year's NL Cy Young Award race, and he wound up logging 97 of his 105 career victories with Chicago. Morton's career is an impressive story of perseverance, as the 18-year veteran compiled 19.2 bWAR after his age-32 season after being sub-replacement level up to that point.
Final year on the ballot: Jimmy Rollins
This also is slated to be the final year for Rollins' fellow shortstop, Alex Rodriguez, but Rollins may have a better chance of generating momentum with voters. Rollins, who debuted on the 2022 ballot at 9.4%, reached 25.4% in 2026. With an MVP Award, a World Series title, four Gold Gloves and nearly 2,500 hits, Rollins could have a case that continues to gain appeal in the coming years.