The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., is where the sport's legends live forever.
But how do those legends make it to Cooperstown in the first place? There are two ways:
Players can be elected to the Hall of Fame via the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot or via an Era Committee ballot.
Now that the 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot has been released, here is everything you need to know about Hall of Fame voting.
BBWAA BALLOT VOTING
Who is eligible to cast a BBWAA ballot?
Only active and honorary members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America who have been active baseball writers for at least 10 years are eligible to vote. They must have been active as baseball writers and members of the BBWAA for at least 10 years before the date of the election in which they are voting.
In 2024, 394 BBWAA members cast a Hall of Fame ballot.
How often does the BBWAA vote on Hall of Fame candidates?
The BBWAA, which has been electing players to the Hall of Fame since 1936, has been voting on each new class of candidates annually since 1966.
Which players are eligible for the BBWAA ballot?
Any player who played in at least 10 Major League seasons and ended their MLB playing career at least five calendar years before the next election is eligible to be placed on that year's ballot.
For example, pitcher Cole Hamels made his big league debut in 2006 and participated in 15 seasons, last playing in 2020. Thus, he was an eligible first-year candidate for 2026 and did make it on the ballot.
Who decides which players make the final ballot?
The most recent BBWAA ballots have included 25-30 players, so not every player who had a 10-plus-year career and has been retired for at least five years can be put on the ballot. The final say lies with a BBWAA-appointed screening committee consisting of baseball writers. It's a six-member committee, and an eligible first-time candidate makes it on the ballot if they are nominated by any two of the six members.
Those ballot newcomers are joined by any player who received a vote on at least 5% of ballots cast in the previous election.
What are the voting procedures?
Ballots are mailed to each BBWAA elector during the latter half of November. An elector can vote for as few as zero and as many as 10 players on their ballot. Each elector must then sign their ballot and return it by Dec. 31 for it to be counted. The voting results of the BBWAA ballot for the Class of 2026 will be announced Jan. 20 on MLB Network.
How many votes are required for a player to be elected to the Hall of Fame or remain on the ballot?
Any player who receives a vote on at least 75% of ballots cast is formally elected to Cooperstown. In 2025, players who received a vote on at least 296 of the 394 ballots cast made it to Cooperstown. That was the case for Ichiro Suzuki (99.7%), CC Sabathia (86.8%) and Billy Wagner (82.5%).
Players who didn't receive the amount of votes necessary for election must receive at least 5% of the vote in order to remain on the ballot. Any player who receives a vote on fewer than 5% ballots cast will no longer be considered by the BBWAA for the Hall of Fame.
Who is on the 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot?
Hamels and 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun are two of the 27 players on the 2026 ballot and among its 12 first-timers. That dozen joins 15 other players who return from last year's ballot. Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones have the best chances among the returnees of being elected in 2026. Their voting percentages on the previous ballot were 70.3% and 66.2%, respectively.
How long can players remain on the BBWAA ballot?
Players can remain on the ballot for 10 years, assuming they receive at least 5% of the vote each year. If a player isn't elected after 10 years on the ballot, they will no longer be considered by the BBWAA for the Hall of Fame.
How many players have been elected to the Hall of Fame via the BBWAA ballot?
The BBWAA has elected 137 players to the Hall, as of 2025.
Which player received the highest percentage of votes on the BBWAA ballot?
There has been only one player who received a vote on 100% of the ballots cast: Mariano Rivera in 2019.
ERA COMMITTEE BALLOT VOTING
What are the Era Committees?
Formerly known as the Veterans Committee, the Era Committees consider retired Major League players who are no longer eligible for Hall of Fame election by the BBWAA, along with managers, umpires and executives.
There are three Era Committee ballots:
- The Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot, which covers players who made their greatest impact on the game between 1980 and present day.
- The Contemporary Baseball Era manager/executive/umpire ballot, which covers the same time span for those individuals.
- The Classic Baseball Era ballot, which covers baseball prior to 1980, including the Negro Leagues.
There are 16 members on each committee, consisting of Hall of Famers, current and former MLB executives, media members and historians. The committee members change each year.
How often does an Era Committee vote on Hall of Fame Candidates?
The Era Committees rotate on a three-year cycle, with one ballot being considered each year.
Who decides which players make the final ballot?
The Historical Overview Committee, which is appointed by the BBWAA, serves as the screening committee, consisting of 10-12 representatives. It identifies eight candidates for each year's Era Committee ballot.
Who is on this year's Era Committee Ballot?
The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee player ballot is up for consideration this year. The eight Hall candidates on the ballot are Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.
The voters on this year's ballot are Hall of Fame members Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Pérez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount; Major League executives Mark Attanasio, Doug Melvin, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins and Terry Ryan; and veteran media members/historians Steve Hirdt, Tyler Kepner and Jayson Stark.
What are the voting procedures?
For 2025, the Contemporary Era Committee will meet on Dec. 7 at baseball’s Winter Meetings in Orlando to consider this year's eight candidates. Each committee member may vote for as few as zero and as many as three of the eight candidates on the ballot. The voting results will be announced live that night on MLB Network at 7:30 ET.
How many votes are required for a player to be elected to the Hall of Fame or remain on the ballot?
Candidates who receive a vote on 12 of the 16 ballots cast (75%) are elected to the Hall of Fame and are included in the following year's induction ceremony in Cooperstown. Per a 2025 rule change, any candidate on an Era Committee ballot who does not receive at least five votes from the 16-member committee will not be eligible to be placed back on that ballot in its next three-year cycle. But a candidate can return to an Era Committee ballot after skipping one cycle.
For example, if one of the candidates on the 2025 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee player ballot receives fewer than 5 votes, they wouldn't be eligible for the next such ballot in 2028. However, they would be eligible to be placed back on that ballot in 2031.
Any candidate who receives fewer than five votes on multiple Era Committee ballots will no longer be eligible for future consideration.
How many players have been elected to the Hall of Fame via an Era Committee ballot?
In all its forms, the Era Committees have elected 183 individuals (117 MLB players, 33 executives, 23 managers and 10 umpires) to the Hall of Fame. In 2024, Dave Parker and Dick Allen were elected to the Hall of Fame by the Classic Baseball Era Committee.