One yr in the past, the Corridor of Fame dialog centered on three gamers: the near-unanimous Ichiro Suzuki, clear first-ballot alternative CC Sabathia, and long-deferred Billy Wagner.
The 2026 cycle is one other matter. We’ve arrived at a web page within the Cooperstown story with out an apparent fundamental character.
Welcome to the “Consolation Plus” poll, with additional elbow room for voters to advocate for candidates beforehand overshadowed by slam-dunk first-timers or pressing, last-chance instances.
Regardless of the newfound flexibility, it’s not clear the writers will elect anybody in any respect.
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones earned my votes once more, after receiving 70.3% and 66.2%, respectively, in 2025. Beltrán is without doubt one of the best switch-hitters in baseball historical past, with an excellent postseason résumé to amplify his credentials. Jones received 10 Gold Gloves in heart discipline whereas taking part in for a franchise that dominated the Nationwide League for a decade.
But the opportunity of Jeff Kent standing alone on the stage in July stays actual, until a ample variety of voters have modified their views since final winter.
I’m a “Huge Corridor” voter, as a result of it might take time to put gamers into correct historic context; the way in which to make sure they continue to be into account is to proceed voting for them. Corridor of Famer Scott Rolen, who debuted at 10.2%, is proof that worthy inductees can have modest beginnings on the polls.
In step with that philosophy, I checked packing containers beside 10 names on my 2026 poll.
Amongst that group, I’d wish to focus right here on Hernández and Hamels, as a result of they characterize a section of the poll — beginning pitchers — I’ve spent appreciable time pondering.
Sabathia clearly met the Corridor of Fame commonplace. Amongst extra fashionable starters, Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, and Justin Verlander appear destined for Cooperstown. Zack Greinke probably is, too. However in an period of restricted innings and de-emphasis on pitching wins, the place will we draw the road?
Hernández completed among the many Prime 10 in Cy Younger Award voting six instances in a seven-year span from 2009 via 2015; he received the distinction in 2010 and completed second twice. That’s the definition of a dominant peak.
King Félix maintained the next profession strikeout fee than Sabathia, however sturdiness was the distinction on combination. Sabathia logged 3,577 1/3 innings, in comparison with 2,729 2/3 for Hernández. In the long run, Sabathia led Félix by over 500 strikeouts.
Hernández was solely 33 years outdated when he threw what proved to be his last Main League pitch on Sept. 26, 2019. Had he prevented late-career accidents, a 36-year-old Félix might need been a part of the 2022 Mariners that ended a two-decade playoff drought. As a substitute, he retired with out ever showing within the postseason.
Gamers solely have a lot management over postseason alternatives. The higher commonplace is whether or not they had traditionally important careers inside their respective eras. Throughout Hernández’s profession from 2005 via 2019, solely three pitchers recorded extra strikeouts: Verlander, Scherzer, and Hamels.
Hamels, the truth is, is the participant whose profession most carefully resembles that of Hernández, in keeping with the Baseball-Reference.com statistical database. Their innings and strikeout totals are very related. Hamels’ ERA+ is superior (123 vs. 117 for Félix), and he has an estimable 3.41 ERA over 100 1/3 postseason innings — together with Nationwide League Championship Sequence and World Sequence MVP honors in 2008.
Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright will seem on future BBWAA ballots, and their candidacies will rightly be bolstered by their October achievements. Hamels — who threw an identical variety of innings to Lester and Wainwright — deserves the identical consideration.
In time, there shall be distinctions drawn among the many group. For now, my poll affirms that Hamels and Hernández had been among the many defining pitchers of an period during which the goalposts for greatness had been moved by forces past their management.
This winter, for maybe the one time, the caliber of the BBWAA poll grants me the latitude to make that assertion. I’m more than pleased to make use of it.
