The 2026 Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame ballot is here !

There are 27 players on the ballot -- 15 returnees and 12 newcomers. Here are seven storylines to follow before the Class of 2026 is announced on Jan. 20, 2026 on MLB Network.

2026 Hall of Fame coverage

1) Will Carlos Beltrán get over the hump?

In a word: Yes.

Not to kill the suspense, but Beltrán's Hall support has bounced from 46.5% to 70.3% in just the last two cycles. He came up only 19 votes shy of being a member of the 2025 class , so he can essentially start prepping his speech for this year, his fourth on the ballot.

The 1999 AL Rookie of the Year, Beltrán's career was stuffed with accomplishments -- nine All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves, two Silver Sluggers, the 2013 Roberto Clemente

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