Paul Hoynes, still churning out copy deep into his fifth decade as a down-in-the-trenches baseball beat writer, has been elected as the 2026 winner of the BBWAA Career Excellence Award.

Hoynes will be honored with the award that is presented annually to a sportswriter “for meritorious contributions to baseball writing” during the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Induction Weekend July 24-27 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Of the 407 ballots, including two blanks, cast by BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years’ service, Hoynes was named on 177 in becoming the 77th winner of the award since its inception in 1962.

Finishing second with 128 votes was the late Scott Miller, who covered baseball for more than 30 years prior to his death in June at age 62 after an 18-month battle with

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