6 Phillies highlight Class of 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot

Photo Credit: MLB.com

On Monday, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America and the National Baseball Hall of Fame released the Class of 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot. The ballot includes 15 returning players and 12 newcomers.

To be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, candidates need at least 75 percent of the vote from the writers. Players can stay on the ballot for a maximum of 10 years as long as they receive five percent of the vote.

This year’s ballot includes no unanimous inductee according to baseball analysts, leaving the field wide open.

Last year, outfielder Ichiro Suzuki received 99.7 percent of the vote in his first year on the ballot, pitcher CC Sabathia received 86.8 percent of the vote in his first year on the ballot, and closer Billy Wagner received 82.5 percent of the vote in his 10th and final year on the ballot. The year before, third baseman Adrian Beltre was the highest vote getter, receiving 95.1 percent of the vote, 15 percent more than any other candidate.

In 2026, outfielder Manny Ramirez is the only player in his final year of Hall of Fame eligibility. Unlike Wagner, who made the Hall of Fame in his 10th year, Ramirez has an uphill battle to climb, having received 34.3 percent of the vote last year. That ranked eighth among candidates on the ballot.

While Wagner went into the Hall of Fame as a Houston Astro, he played two seasons (2004-05) with a team that could make major headlines on this year’s ballot - the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies have experienced recent success in Cooperstown, with three former players being inducted into the Hall of Fame since 2023. Along with Wagner, legendary infielder and outfielder Dick Allen was enshrined with the class of 2025, entering the Hall as a Phillie. The Classic Baseball Era Committee elected Allen. In 2023, third baseman Scott Rolen was inducted into the Hall of Fame, but went in as a St. Louis Cardinal. Allen and Rolen are also members of the Phillies Wall of Fame at Citizens Bank Park.

Six former Phillies highlight this year’s ballot, including three players from the 2008 World Series team and a current front office member.

Chase Utley

Going into his third year on the ballot, second baseman Chase Utley is in the best position of any former Phillie looking to make the Hall of Fame. Utley received nearly 40 percent of the vote last year, up from 28.8 percent in his first year on the ballot. Utley finished sixth in the voting process, with three players ahead of him getting the Hall of Fame nod in 2025.

The Phillies selected Utley with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 MLB Amateur Draft. In 13 years with the Phillies, Utley totaled a 62.0 wins above replacement, had a .282 batting average, recorded 233 home runs and 916 runs batted in, and had an on-base plus slugging percentage of .847. He was a six-time All-Star with the Phillies, including a run of five straight All-Star Game appearances from 2006-10. He was also a four-time Silver Slugger in Philadelphia and was a key member of the 2008 World Series-winning team.

He finished his career playing four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his home state of California. He ended his 17-year career with a 64.6 WAR, 1,937 games played, a .275 BA, and more than 1,000 RBI.

Bobby Abreu

Heading into his seventh year on the Hall of Fame ballot, outfielder Bobby Abreu received 19.5 percent of the votes, which ranked 11th among candidates on last year’s list. In 2024, Abreu received 14.8 percent of the votes.

Abreu spent half of his 18-year MLB career with the Phillies across two stints. Abreu accumulated 47.4 WAR with the Phillies, 40 more than he had with any other team. The Venezuelan had a .303 BA, .928 OPS, 195 homers, and 844 RBI in 1,353 games with the Phillies. All of his individual accolades came while wearing the red and white pinstripes. He was a two-time All-Star, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner in back-to-back seasons, and won the Home Run Derby in 2005.

Abreu finished his career with a 60.2 WAR while playing for six teams. Other than the Phillies, Abreu played for the Astros, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets. He had 288 home runs, 1,363 RBI, and a .291 BA in 2,425 games played.

The 51-year-old was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2019.

Jimmy Rollins

Returning for his fifth season on the ballot, shortstop Jimmy Rollins received 18 percent of the vote last season, finishing just behind Abreu. Rollins recorded more than a three percent jump from the previous year.

A second-round pick by the Phillies in 1998, Rollins would play 15 years with the team. He had a 47.6 WAR in over 2000 games played with the Phillies. Rollins had a .267 batting average, 216 homers, and 887 RBI. He added 479 doubles and 111 triples with the Phillies. Rollins holds the franchise record for hits (2,306) and doubles, and has the third-most triples.

When it comes to individual accolades, Rollins is the most polished former Phillie on this list. The 2007 National League Most Valuable Player is a four-time Gold Glove winner, three-time All-Star, and Silver Slugger. In 2002, his second season in the league, Rollins led the NL in at bats (656), stolen bases (46), and triples (12). The following year, he once again led the league in ABs (637) and stolen bases (10). In 2007, his MVP-winning season, Rollins led the majors in plate appearances (778), at bats (716), and games played (162). He also led the NL in runs (139) and triples (20) that year.

Rollins spent the final two seasons of his illustrious career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, but didn’t do much to elevate his career numbers.

A 2008 World Series champion, Rollins was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame this past season.

Cole Hamels

One of the biggest newcomers to the Hall of Fame ballot is former Phillies ace Cole Hamels. The lefty is expected to be one of the top vote-getters among the 12 first-year candidates.

A former first-round pick of the Phillies in 2002, Hamels spent the first 10 years of his 15-year career in Philadelphia. Hamels started 294 games with the Phillies, the fourth-most in franchise history. He was 114-90 with a 3.30 earned run average and 1,884 strikeouts. Hamels is most known in Philadelphia and around MLB for his postseason performance in 2008. Hamels went 4-0, posting a 1.80 ERA and 30 strikeouts in five starts. He was named National League Championship Series and World Series MVP that season. Hamels was also selected for four All-Star Games and finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2011, the best statistical season of his career.

The Phillies would trade Hamels to the Texas Rangers in 2015, just days after he threw his only career no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Hamels would spend four years with the Rangers, two with the Cubs, and pitched one game for the Atlanta Braves in 2020, his final MLB season. He finished his career with a 59.0 WAR, a 3.43 ERA, a record of 163-122, and 2,560 strikeouts.

Hamels now serves as a part-time broadcaster for the Phillies.

Hunter Pence

Outfielder Hunter Pence is the next former Phillie who was added to the Hall of Fame ballot in 2026.

Pence spent parts of two seasons with the Phillies, but never played a full season due to trades. The Phillies acquired Pence mid-season from the Astros in 2011 before shipping him to the San Francisco Giants a year later. If ever inducted into the Hall of Fame, Pence would likely go in as an Astro or a Giant.

In 155 games for the Phillies, Pence had a 3.3 WAR, .289 BA, 175 hits, 28 home runs, and 94 RBI. Pence had a .211 BA in five playoff games with the Phillies in 2011, the final year of the team’s dominant run in the NL.

Pence spent eight years with the Giants, five with the Astros, two with the Phillies, and one with the Rangers. In 1,707 games, Pence had a 30.9 WAR, .279 BA, 244 home runs, and 942 RBI. Pence finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in 2007, was a four-time All-Star, and won the World Series twice with the Giants.

Howie Kendrick

Kendrick is the final former Phillies player to grace the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot.

Out of all the players on this list, Kendrick spent the least amount of time playing for the Phillies. In 39 games, Kendrick posted a 1.2 WAR and a .340 BA, while hitting two home runs and recording 12 RBI. In a short sample size, Kendrick was phenomenal for a young team that wasn’t competing for a playoff spot. The Phillies traded Kendrick to the Nationals in July 2017.

Kendrick played 15 years with four teams. He spent nine years with the Angels, four with the Nationals, two with the Dodgers, and one with the Phillies. A former 10th-round pick of the Angels, Kendrick accumulated a 35.0 WAR in 1,621 games. He finished with a .294 BA, 127 home runs, 724 RBI, and 126 stolen bases. Kendrick was named to the 2011 AL All-Star team as a member of the Angels.

Kendrick will be remembered for his 2019 season with the Nationals. In a utility role that saw him start 70 games, the then-36-year-old batted .344 in the regular season and .286 in the postseason. Kendrick won NLCS MVP after hitting a go-ahead grand slam in extra innings of Game 5 of the NLDS and batting .333 in the NLCS against the Cardinals. The veteran hit the biggest home run in Nationals history, launching a go-ahead two-run home run against the Astros in the seventh inning of Game 7 of the 2019 World Series.

While he played less than half a season in Philadelphia, Kendrick returned to the organization in 2021 to serve as the special assistant to the general manager, a role he still holds today.

The voting results for the BBWAA National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be announced on Jan. 20.