The 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot is set to be released on Monday, outlining the process for electing baseball legends to Cooperstown. Voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America will select up to 10 candidates, with results announced on January 20. Meanwhile, the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee will meet on December 7 to consider eight player candidates from 1980 to present.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., honors the sport's greatest figures through two primary voting paths: the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) ballot and Era Committee ballots.
For the BBWAA process, eligibility requires at least 10 Major League seasons and retirement five or more years prior. Pitcher Cole Hamels, who debuted in 2006 and last played in 2020, qualifies as a first-year candidate for 2026. A six-member screening committee selects newcomers, joined by holdovers receiving at least 5% of votes from the previous year. Ballots, mailed in late November, allow votes for zero to 10 players and must be returned by December 31. Election needs 75% approval; in 2025, that threshold was 296 of 394 ballots, electing Ichiro Suzuki (99.7%), CC Sabathia (86.8%), and Billy Wagner (82.5%). Players stay on the ballot for up to 10 years if they garner 5% or more annually. As of 2025, the BBWAA has elected 137 players, with Mariano Rivera holding the record at 100% in 2019.
The Era Committees handle players ineligible for BBWAA ballots, plus managers, umpires, and executives. The 2025 Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot features Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela. The 16-member committee meets December 7 at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, voting for zero to three candidates. Twelve votes (75%) elect inductees for the 2026 ceremony. A 2025 rule change bars candidates with fewer than five votes from the next cycle but allows return after one skip; multiple low showings end eligibility. Era Committees have elected 183 individuals total, including Dave Parker and Dick Allen in 2024 via the Classic ballot.