Chris Bodig
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Chris Bodig
@cooperstowncred.bsky.social
Author of "Cooperstown Cred," the #1 website about Hall of Fame candidates. Former producer for ESPN's Baseball Tonight. SABR Member.
Congratulations to Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones for being elected to the HOF.
Here's my write-up, which includes fun facts and nuggets about the new Hall of Famers as well as the candidates who will be back for more in 2027.
www.cooperstowncred.com/carlos-beltr...
Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones are Elected to the Hall of Fame - Cooperstown Cred
This evening, Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. The 425 voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of Amer...
www.cooperstowncred.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:18 AM
In less than five hours, the rest of the 2026 HOF Class will be announced.

Here's my "virtual" ballot, with the reasons why I've flipped from "no" to "yes" for some on the list:

Beltran
Jones
Utley
Pettitte
Hernandez
Abreu
Pedroia
Rollins
Buehrle
Wright

www.cooperstowncred.com/cooperstown-...
Cooperstown Cred 2026 Virtual Ballot - Cooperstown Cred
Tonight at 6:00 p.m. ET, live on the MLB Network and mlb.com, Josh Rawitch, the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will announce the results of the 2026 Hall of Fame voting fr...
www.cooperstowncred.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:29 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
Less than 24 hours to go until the results of this year's Baseball Hall of Fame election are revealed. If trends with public voters hold, we'll be welcoming two new members: Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones. My latest projections with 223 ballots in @notmrtibbs.com's Tracker.
January 20, 2026 at 12:44 AM
Love Rosenthal's thinking here.
The Hall of Fame is filled with players who had fantastic peaks but didn't reach milestone numbers: King Felix, Pedroia, and Wright fit that bill.
And, by adding Pettitte and Buehrle, he's rewarding durability and consistency, even if both were rarely brilliant.
Ballot #216 is from Ken Rosenthal. Six new additions join four holdovers. Buehrle (+12), King Félix (+44), Pedroia (+20), Pettitte (+31), Wright (+15), and first-year candidate Hamels all earn votes

Rosenthal’s column: www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...

In the Tracker: tracker.fyi
January 19, 2026 at 6:58 PM
It's just 3 days until the BBWAA Hall of Fame announcement.
I'm not a BBWAA member, but here is my "virtual" ballot for 2026.
Thanks to @notmrtibbs.com, @shutthedore.bsky.social, and @tonycal.bsky.social for their hard work on the Tracker and this graphic.
www.cooperstowncred.com/cooperstown-...
Cooperstown Cred 2026 Virtual Ballot - Cooperstown Cred
On Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. ET, live on the MLB Network and mlb.com, Josh Rawitch, the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will announce the results of the 2026 Hall of Fame voting...
www.cooperstowncred.com
January 17, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
Milestone ballot!

With their selections here, Pettitte (110) and Abreu (77) match their career highs in total votes, set last year. That was in 205 fewer ballots. Buehrle’s 46 votes now stand along as the most he has ever earned in one cycle. Wright, Pedroia, and Félix have already done it as well
Ballot #189 is from a voter who wishes to remain anonymous. We are unable to confirm any adds or drops, if there are any. Beltrán is one vote away from 90.0%

In the Tracker: tracker.fyi
January 15, 2026 at 3:18 AM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
With 188 ballots in @notmrtibbs.com's Tracker, it's looking increasingly likely that we'll see two new members of the Baseball Hall of Fame next Tuesday. But it's possible Andruw Jones just misses out. My latest projections
January 15, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Correct.
Did you know: there have been many, seasons where 60+ active players eventually made HOF? Even with a fraction of the teams we have now?

Not defending all choices within. Vets Committees went *nuts* for a while. But if you're saying "it's too big" now, no.

www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tin...
January 6, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Here's Part Two of the one-and-dones, profiles/tributes to five outfielders who had excellent careers, but will fall short of the Hall of Fame when the vote is announced.
This piece is about Matt Kemp, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis, Hunter Pence, Shin-Soo Choo.
www.cooperstowncred.com/the-one-and-...
The One-and-Dones on the 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot: Part Two - Cooperstown Cred
In sixteen days, the final member (or members) of the 2026 class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced. Last month, Jeff Kent, the most prolific home run hitter as a second baseman ...
www.cooperstowncred.com
January 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM
This is one of the weakest classes of first-year candidates for the HOF in recent years, with 11 out of 12 likely to get under 5%.

This is Part One of my one-and-done tributes: Edwin Encarnacion, Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy, Rick Porcello, and Gio Gonzalez.
www.cooperstowncred.com/the-one-and-...
The One-and-Dones on the 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot: Part One - Cooperstown Cred
On Tuesday, January 20th, Josh Rawitch, the president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, will announce the results of the 2026 ballot by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBW...
www.cooperstowncred.com
January 4, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
With 116 ballots revealed/~27.1% known:

Beltrán 87.9%
Andruw 82.8%
-
Utley 65.5%
Félix 59.5%
Pettitte 55.2%
A-Rod 50.9%
Manny 45.7%
Abreu 40.5%
Hamels 31.0%
Rollins 29.3%
Pedroia 25.9%
Buehrle 22.4%
Wright 19.8%
K-Rod 14.7%
Vizquel 11.2%
-
Torii 4.3%
Braun 3.4%
Choo/EE/Pence 0.9%

tracker.fyi
January 3, 2026 at 12:33 AM
In the first six years of his career, Ryan Braun looked like a sure-fire Hall of Famer in the making.
Then, an injury and PED suspension changed the trajectory of his career downwards.
Braun is on the 2026 BBWAA HOF ballot. This is a profile of his career.
www.cooperstowncred.com/ryan-braun-i...
Ryan Braun is on the Hall of Fame Ballot - Cooperstown Cred
Ryan Braun looked like a Hall of Famer early in his career. In his first six seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, he was the National League’s Rookie of the Year, the league’s Most Valuable Player, had...
www.cooperstowncred.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
Will post my first full set of 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame projections in the new year. But as a sneak peak, my model has Carlos Beltrán elected in 82% of simulations based on 100 ballots in @notmrtibbs.com’s Tracker. Andruw Jones elected 57% of the time.
December 31, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
Next year's 2027 Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Players Committee (1980 to Present) is going to be wild between 4 host of stone-cold Hall of Famers debuting, and the new rule regarding two consecutive outcomes of <5 votes leading to permanent ineligibility.

Thread.

Let’s see who might debut…
December 29, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
With 62 ballots revealed/~14.5% of the total vote known:

Beltrán 82.3%
Andruw 80.6%
-
Utley 64.5%
Félix 61.3%
Pettitte 56.5%
A-Rod 53.2%
Manny 48.4%
Abreu 43.5%
Hamels 37.1%
Pedroia 27.4%
Buehrle 22.6%
Rollins 25.8%
Wright 21.0%
Vizquel 17.7%
K-Rod 12.9%
Braun 6.5%
-
EE/Torii/Pence 1.6%
tracker.fyi
December 27, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
Net gained/lost votes through 70 ballots (~16.4% of the vote):

Félix +15
Pettitte +8
Abreu +7
Pedroia +7
Utley +7
Andruw +5
Beltrán +4
A-Rod +4
Wright +4
Buehrle +3
K-Rod +3
Manny +2
Rollins +2
Vizquel +1
---
Hunter -1

tracker.fyi
December 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM
My first profile for the 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot is for the best newcomer to the ballot, Cole Hamels.
Hamels was consistently excellent, but never dominant.
As pitching volume declines, how will we look at HOF candidates in the future?
www.cooperstowncred.com/the-hall-of-...
The Hall of Fame Case for and against Cole Hamels - Cooperstown Cred
Cole Hamels, the MVP of the 2008 National League Championship Series and World Series, is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Hamels, who last pitched in Major League Baseball in 2020, is t...
www.cooperstowncred.com
December 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
Ballot #36 is from Sean Forman. He adds back Abreu (now +5) and A-Rod (+2) after dropping them for space last year, while strategically omitting Pettitte, who falls to +3. Hamels gets his 10th Hall vote and sits at 27.8% his first year.

In the Tracker: tracker.fyi
December 19, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
Congratulations to the newest Hall of Famer, Jeff Kent. Fun fact (?): The Tracker was a thing for all 10 years of Jeff Kent's run on the BBWAA ballot. He received a total of 998 votes over that decade from the writers and the Tracker was able to log 774 of those as public votes (77.6%). Fun!
December 8, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Congratulations to Jeff Kent, who was elected tonight to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
He got 14 votes from the 16-member committee.
Carlos Delgado came in 2nd place with 9 votes, while Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy got 6 votes each.
www.cooperstowncred.com/jeff-kent-fi...
Jeff Kent: The First Member of the Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 - Cooperstown Cred
Jeff Kent hit 377 home runs in his MLB career, the most ever for a 2nd baseman and yet he has never gotten close to the Hall of Fame on the BBWAA ballot.
www.cooperstowncred.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:02 AM
The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee votes today in Orlando on the Hall of Fame candidacies of eight players.
IMO, Jeff Kent will get the call today that every player dreams of.
www.cooperstowncred.com/why-does-jef...
Is 2026 the Year Jeff Kent Will Enter the Hall of Fame? - Cooperstown Cred
Jeff Kent hit 377 home runs in his MLB career, the most ever for a 2nd baseman and yet he has never gotten close to the Hall of Fame on the BBWAA ballot.
www.cooperstowncred.com
December 7, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Three years ago, Don Mattingly came four votes short of the Hall of Fame? Will today be the day that Cooperstown comes calling?
www.cooperstowncred.com/should-donni...
Should Donnie Baseball Be in the Hall of Fame? - Cooperstown Cred
Don Mattingly was a star for the New York Yankees in the mid 1980's but had a relatively short career. He's eligible for the Hall of Fame this December.
www.cooperstowncred.com
December 7, 2025 at 7:05 PM
With a bunch of old school Hall of Famers on today's Era Committee, could this be the year Dale Murphy makes the Hall of Fame?
www.cooperstowncred.com/dale-murphy-...
Dale Murphy, Superstar from the 1980's, is Still Outside the Hall of Fame - Cooperstown Cred
Dale Murphy was a 2-time MVP and one of the best players of the 1980's. His career ended, however, at age 37 and he is still outside of the Hall of Fame.
www.cooperstowncred.com
December 7, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Today, the HOF revealed the 16 members of the Era Committee.
The HOFers all played in the 60s, 70s, and/or 80s; only 3 who were still around in the 90s.
Might bode well for Murphy and Mattingly.
Doesn't look friendly to Bonds and Clemens.
I still think Kent is the most likely to get in.
Thoughts?
December 2, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by Chris Bodig
The @baseballhall.org just announced that I'm one of the 16 members of the Contemporary Era Committee that will meet Sunday to elect the newest Hall of Famer(s).

I'm honored to serve. But it means I won't be writing a column Sunday to analyze the vote. Here's why.

www.nytimes.com/athletic/685...
This Hall of Fame Contemporary Era election, I won’t just be an observer. I’ll be a voter
This time around, I’ll be serving on the 16-member committee, along with The Athletic's Tyler Kepner. Here's what you should know.
www.nytimes.com
December 2, 2025 at 5:07 PM