- - Breaking down my Hall of Fame ballot: Cole Hamels and Phillies stars worthy?

Steve Gardner, USA TODAYDecember 27, 2025 at 5:57 AM

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The Baseball Hall of Fame ballot feels like it finally has a chance to breathe in 2026.

In my six years of voting, I’ve struggled with there being almost too many worthy candidates vying for my 10 available slots. I haven’t always filled every one, but the sheer volume of very good players has made some of those decisions agonizing. Certainly, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens running out of eligibility four years ago released some of that pressure. And the election of Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner last year was a major step forward.

Will that change anything for me?

I don’t think so. But I find my approach to voting has evolved somewhat over the past few years.

With a little time and perspective, I’ve come to the realization that my individual vote only makes a discernable difference when it comes to candidates who are close to being elected or candidates who are in danger of falling off the ballot. So here's how I filled out mine for the Class of 2026.

The no-doubters

This may be the year for Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones. If so, I’m fully on board.

In my mind, those two are certain Hall of Famers for all they accomplished during their lengthy careers. For “small Hall” voters, there’s a strong case to include both among the best center fielders in baseball history – Beltran, mostly for his offense and Jones, mostly for his defense.

Yes, Beltran was a central figure in the Houston Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal. He definitely helped push the envelope a little too far. But that isn’t enough to negate everything he accomplished on the field over a career that lasted two full decades.

And yes, Jones’ skills declined rapidly after he turned 30. But in his prime, he was as good a defensive center fielder as the game has ever seen. And he was a consistent power hitter, finishing with the exact same .486 slugging percentage Beltran had.

I also have no doubts about withholding my vote for Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. As I’ve stated before, I draw the line on PED users at the point where MLB decided to implement its current testing policy. Once the crackdown began in 2004 and penalties were established for getting caught, those players are no longer eligible for me. It’s an offense that’s multiple times more damaging to the game than sign-stealing.

The borderline candidates

The World Series champion 2008 Philadelphia Phillies had three players on this year's Hall of Fame ballot: Second baseman Chase Utley, shortstop Jimmy Rollins and pitcher Cole Hamels.

I fully realize the other players on my ballot may never get in to Cooperstown. I’ll even concede they may fall below what’s currently considered a Hall of Fame level.

But if our standards are so high that players of this generation are denied entry, we run the risk of making the Hall an obsolete museum with little relevance to the modern-day baseball fan. There is already a far greater percentage of enshrinees from the 1920s and 30s than there are from the 1970s and 80s.

I want to see the best players from every era honored. And I’m a little concerned that if the current trend continues, that won’t always be the case.

So yes to Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley, the keystone combo from the Keystone State. They won a World Series together in 2008 with the Philadelphia Phillies. Rollins won four Gold Gloves; Utley won four Silver Sluggers.

And yes to a quartet of starting pitchers who make it almost impossible to determine who’s the best of the group.

Felix Hernandez was one of my favorite players to watch. His genuine love for the game and for competing made it so easy root for him. The AL Cy Young award winner in 2010, King Felix was incredibly consistent, posting 10 consecutive seasons with 30+ starts. And he was the unquestioned ace of the Mariners, starting 11 times on opening day.

The biggest drawback to Hernandez’s candidacy is his relatively low career totals: 169 wins, 2,524 strikeouts, and perhaps most glaringly, zero playoff appearances. And, like Andruw Jones, his production fell off dramatically after age 30.

For a second consecutive year, I’m also including Andy Pettitte and Mark Buehrle.

Both won over 200 games during their lengthy careers and were key members of World Series-winning teams. Their overall numbers are incredibly close, with Pettitte’s lengthy postseason resume (a record 44 playoff starts) and five championship rings balanced out by Burhrle’s edge in All-Star appearances and his Gold Glove defense.

The case for Hamels

Finally, I’m checking the box for Cole Hamels in his first year on the ballot.

My argument last year for including the other three starting pitchers was that there was no clear way to tell them apart. They all had their particular advantages compared to the others, but no one stood out. The best example was that they all finished their careers with the exact same adjusted ERA (ERA+) of 117.

Comparing Hamels to that group only made things more difficult.

🚨NEW EP: COLE HAMELS🚨 POF welcomes @SteveAGardner to discuss the career and HOF candidacy of Cole Hamels. We cover:⚾️ Devastating Changeup🏆 2008 Postseason Performance ⚾️ Top Pitchers on 2026 Ballot 🏆 2008 Hamels vs. 2025 Yamamotohttps://t.co/1RaFX9UIBz

— Jim Miloch (@podoffame) December 15, 2025

The lanky lefty with a mid-90s fastball, an above-average curve and a devastating changeup spent 15 seasons in the majors, 10 with the Philadelphia Phillies. His 163 career wins are far below the 200-plus Pettitte and Buehrle earned, but only six behind Hernandez. But in terms of ERA+, Hamels’ 123 is the best of the bunch.

While Pettitte has a stellar postseason history, Hamels’ dominant performance in the 2008 playoffs blows the others away. That year, he went 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts, leading the Phillies to their first championship in 28 years. He was also named MVP of both the NL Championship Series and the World Series.

A four-time All-Star, Hamels finished his career with 59.0 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), the same as Buehrle and just behind Pettitte’s 60.2. (Hernandez is at 49.8.) He was an effective pitcher into his mid-30s and he finished with 2,560 strikeouts. He was also more consistent than one might expect, with nine seasons of 4-plus WAR over a 10-year span from 2007-2016. A true workhorse.

I’ll concede Hamels doesn’t “feel” like a Hall of Famer. He wasn’t even the best pitcher on his team for most of his career. But the way starting pitchers are being used these days, it’s pretty obvious the historic standards we’ve used for decades are becoming increasingly more unrealistic as each year passes. As a result, starters could soon become an endangered species in Cooperstown.

Let’s give Hamels’ candidacy (along with those of Pettitte, Buehrle and Hernandez) time to marinate. In time, those pitchers’ numbers may be seen in a much more favorable light. I’m more than happy to extend the discussion a little longer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baseball Hall of Fame voting 2026: Breaking down my MLB ballot

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