"Alex Rodriguez is better than all of these guys" - Fans react as MLB announces ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Major League Baseball released the official 2026 Hall of Fame ballot on Monday, kicking off another round of debate over which former stars deserve induction into Cooperstown.

The ballot features 12 first-time candidates and 15 returning names, with the results scheduled to be announced on January 20, 2026.

This year’s newcomers include Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun, Matt Kemp, Edwin Encarnacion, Hunter Pence, Nick Markakis, Alex Gordon and several others.

They join a group of holdovers headlined by Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones, Chase Utley, Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez, all of whom have appeared on previous ballots with varying levels of support.

Voters must reach the 75 percent threshold for election, and with such a large class of candidates, analysts expect vote-splitting to be a major storyline again this winter and fans quickly chimed in with sharply mixed opinions.

“A lot of players on here that would qualify for the Hall of Very Good. We know the steroid guys aren’t making it so personally I see Beltran, and Jones making the cut. Utley has a shot but I don’t see it this year,” one fan wrote.

Erick

@EKlambara

@MLB A lot of players on here that would qualify for the Hall of Very Good. We know the steroid guys aren’t making it so personally I see Beltran, and Jones making the cut. Utley has a shot but I don’t see it this year.

“BBWAA needs to quit messing around and induct Andruw Jones already,” another fan wrote.

“They letting anybody on the ballot these days 😂😂😂 Don’t think any first-timers get in except Cole Hamels🐐,” one fan said.

“Alex Rodriguez is better than all of these guys,” a fan tweeted.

“What is Ryan Braun doing on here 🤣🤣🤣” a fan wrote.

“Ballot needs to be more exclusive. Good chunk of those players were good but not hall of famers,” one fan tweeted.

Why Alex Rodriguez remains outside the Hall of Fame

Despite a resume that includes 696 home runs, more than 3,100 hits and three MVP Awards, Alex Rodriguez has remained well short of election to the Hall of Fame.

His case continues to be defined by his connection to performance-enhancing drugs and the 162-game suspension he served in 2014 following MLB’s Biogenesis investigation, the longest PED-related ban ever issued by the league.

Rodriguez has now been on the BBWAA ballot for four years, and his support has remained largely unchanged.

He received 34.3 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility in 2022, followed by 35.7 percent in 2023 and 34.8 percent in 2024.

His most recent total of 37.1 percent in the 2025 cycle marked only a modest increase and still left him far from the 75 percent required for election.