6 players trending toward Hall of Fame elections

Of the 27 players on the Baseball Writers' Association of America's 2026 Hall of Fame ballot, just two earned enough votes for election: Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones.

Beltrán won his spot in Cooperstown on his fourth attempt, while Jones earned his spot on his ninth ballot (after receiving just 7.3 percent of the vote on his first ballot). Eleven of the players on the writers' ballot will fall off, having received less than the 5 percent of votes necessary to remain on the ballot another year. But some others made significant gains over last year's election, putting them on a path to potentially reach the 75 percent of the vote needed for induction within a few years.

Here's a look at the players from this year's election who are trending toward an eventual spot in Cooperstown.

Players are listed in descending order of 2026 vote percentage.

Chase Utley
2026 vote %: 59.1
Increase from 2025: 19.3

Utley is well positioned for election, perhaps as soon as next year, having jumped to 59.1 percent in this year's vote, his third appearance on the ballot.

His surge in support comes as more voters have gained appreciation for Utley's stellar career, which included six All-Star appearances, 259 homers (the seventh-most ever for a primary second baseman), an average of 5.2 bWAR during his first 12 seasons in the league and an average of 7.6 bWAR from 2005-10.

Next year's writers' ballot looks to feature just one near-lock in Buster Posey, giving Utley a real shot to gain election to Cooperstown in his fourth attempt.

Andy Pettitte (eighth year on ballot)
2026 vote %: 48.5
Increase from 2025: 20.6

Pettitte is riding a similar wave of late support as recent inductees Larry Walker and Edgar Martinez, who both received just modest support during their first five or so years on the ballot before gaining major momentum in their final years of eligibility. The induction of fellow lefty CC Sabathia likely helped, given the similarities between their two careers.

Pettitte's 256 wins would put him right in line with other Hall of Famers, including Sabathia, Bob Gibson, Carl Hubbell and Jack Morris, while his postseason career (19-11; 3.81 ERA; five championships) was a major reason behind the success of the '90s Yankees. These factors have begun to carry a lot of weight with voters in recent years, which has created clear momentum on the ballot.

While the momentum has been real, it'll take a continued surge for Pettitte to reach 75 percent before his time on the ballot ends. But his chances have improved significantly in the past few years.

Félix Hernández (second year on ballot)
2026 vote %: 46.1
Increase from 2025: 25.5

Hernandez is perhaps the biggest story of this election cycle among non-elected players. After debuting at a notable but not remarkable 20.6 percent in his first year on the ballot, Hernandez vaulted to 46.1 percent this year -- the largest second-year jump ever.

Though Hernandez did not have a typical Hall of Fame career in terms of counting stats -- he didn't even win 200 games or reach 3,000 strikeouts, for example -- he was a six-time All-Star and had a seven-year peak when he was almost universally regarded as one of the top pitchers in baseball. He won the 2010 AL Cy Young Award with the Mariners, won two ERA titles, pitched a perfect game and averaged 228 innings and 221 strikeouts per season from 2009-15.

That peak has clearly resonated with voters, who have put Hernandez on a strong path toward induction, perhaps within the next few years.

Bobby Abreu (seventh year on ballot)
2026 vote %: 30.8
Increase from 2025: 11.3

Abreu's recent strides are especially impressive considering that he barely received enough votes to survive his first year on the ballot, finishing with just 5.5 percent of the vote in 2020. After falling just short of the 20 percent mark last year, Abreu jumped this year to 30.8 percent, his seventh appearance on the ballot.

The recent climb can be attributed to an increased understanding of just how good a player Abreu was during his 18-year MLB career. He's one of just 12 primary outfielders ever to play at least 2,425 games, have a career average of .291 or better and have a career OPS of .870 or better. The others on that list include Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays and Stan Musial. During his nine-year peak from 1998-2006, Abreu hit .305 with a .928 OPS and a 139 OPS+.

Abreu still has a long way to go to reach 75 percent, with just three more years left on the ballot. Despite the recent progress, it'll likely take an Edgar Martinez-esque rally over the last few years to earn election. Martinez went from 27 percent of the vote in his sixth year on the ballot to 85.4 percent in his 10th and final year. It's certainly no guarantee, but it's very possible that Abreu follows a similar path.

Cole Hamels (first year on ballot)
2026 vote %: 23.8
Increase from 2025: N/A

Hamels is in a similar spot as Hernandez. The lefty had a notable debut on this year's ballot and could be in line for big gains next year. And like Hernandez, his counting stats don't stand out by traditional Hall of Fame standards. But pitcher evaluations are changing -- as evidenced by the election of Sabathia and the surge of support this year for Hernandez and Pettitte -- and Hamels looks to benefit from that.

While he was never flashy, Hamels was a highly effective starter for most of his 15-year career. The four-time All-Star had a 10-year stretch from 2006-15 in which he averaged 208 2/3 innings pitched and averaged a 3.26 ERA and nearly 200 strikeouts per season. That 3.26 ERA was the second-lowest in baseball during that stretch, trailing only Hernandez's 3.06 among pitchers who made at least 300 starts.

Hamels was also a key part of a Phillies core that won five straight NL East titles from 2007-11 and captured the 2008 World Series championship. Hamels was a major factor in that title, winning the NLCS and World Series MVP awards. The total package makes his Hall of Fame case quite interesting for a lot of voters.

Dustin Pedroia (second year on ballot)
2026 vote %: 20.7
Increase from 2025: 8.8

Pedroia's ballot journey so far is a bit like recent inductee Scott Rolen, who debuted on the ballot in 2018 with an even lower vote percentage than Pedroia last year. Rolen got 10.2 percent of the vote in his first year and 17.2 percent in his second year. Pedroia did a bit better with his 20.7 percent showing this year.

By Rolen's third year on the ballot, his surge toward Cooperstown was well underway, eventually leading to his election with 76.3 percent of the vote in his sixth year on the ballot in 2023. A copycat journey for Pedroia isn't assured, of course, but it'll be a fun comparison to track.

Injuries ended Pedroia's career at least a few years early, diminishing his counting stats, but his time in the league included a 10-year peak in which he averaged 5.1 bWAR per season -- including a career-high 8.0 bWAR in 2011. He hit .303 during that stretch with an .815 OPS and won the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year Award and 2008 AL MVP. He was a four-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner and helped the Red Sox win the 2007 World Series.

Like others on this list, that peak has stayed with a lot of voters. Don't be surprised if even more of them get on board.