The BBWAA has officially unveiled the ballot for possible induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026 and the Atlanta Braves will have a trio of former players on the ballot this time around – although I imagine all eyes will once again be on the one who has now been on this ballot nine times instead of the two newcomers.
Andruw Jones, Nick Markakis and Matt Kemp are the three former Braves players on the ballot this year. This will be the first time Markakis and Kemp appear on the ballot, and while both players have had distinguished careers, it’s hard to see them breaking the famed 75 percent threshold required for admission to the hallowed grounds of Cooperstown. This group of newcomers is quite disappointing and I would be shocked if any of them were on the first ballot.
As for Andruw, he still has a significant amount of catching up to do before he reaches that threshold. 66.2 percent of BBWAA voters included him on the ballot, which was a jump from 61.6 percent the year before and 58.1 percent before that as well. He could see an increase purely because this year’s crop of rookies is relatively weak, and he could also benefit from the sense of urgency that comes with his candidacy since he doesn’t have too much time left before the vote. As long as he avoids a really bad plateau moment here or next year, I’d imagine he has a shot at getting on the ballot next year. I’d be shocked if he got in this year, but we’ll see what happens.
What do you think? Will Andruw Jones continue to move in the right direction on his quest for Cooperstown? Will any of the first-timers have a shot at getting in? Who do you think will get in overall? Let us know!
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