CLEVELAND, Ohio — Two players who helped revitalize baseball in Cleveland in the 1990s are running out of time to gain entry into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
On Monday, the Hall of Fame released its 2026 ballot by the Baseball Writers Association of America for entry into Cooperstown. The ballot included 12 newcomers and 15 holdovers.
Among the holdovers were former Indians Manny Ramirez and Omar Vizquel.
Ramirez, who finished his career with 555 homers, is on his 10th and final year of eligibility. Vizquel, who won 11 Gold Gloves for his play at shortstop, is on his ninth year.
The chances of them gaining entry to Cooperstown by vote of the estimated 400 BBWAA members who will cast votes over the next month and a half are slim.
Ramirez has never received more than 34% of the vote. A player must be named on at least 75% of the ballots to be elected.
The stats say Ramirez should have been elected on his first ballot. He was a 12-time All-Star, won nine Silver Sluggers and was the MVP of the 2004 World Series. But positive tests for performance enhancing drugs have blocked his path among voters.
Ramirez and Vizquel were teammates on the Indians from 1994 through 2001. In that stretch, Cleveland won six AL Central titles and went to the World Series in 1995 and 1997.
Vizquel seemed on his way to Cooperstown when he received 52% of the vote in just his third year of eligibility in 2020. But charges of domestic abuse and a lawsuit brought by a bat boy against Vizquel when he was managing in the White Sox’s minor league system stopped that momentum.
A confidential settlement was reached with the bat boy, who claimed sexual harassment.
In 2025, Vizquel received just 17.8% of the vote.
Ramirez and Vizquel are in the Cleveland Guardians’ Hall of Fame.
Among the 12 newcomers to this year’s ballot are former Indians’ Shin-Soo Choo and Edwin Encarnacion. Choo played in Cleveland from 2006 through 2012. Encarnacion played from 2017 through 2018.
Choo hit over .300 three times in a 16-year career with the Mariners, Indians, Reds and Rangers.
Encarnacion, who signed a three-year $60 million deal with Cleveland, hit 424 home runs in his career. He played for the Reds, Blue Jays, Indians, Mariners, Yankees and White Sox.
Other players making their first appearance on the ballot include:
- Ryan Braun.
- Matt Kemp.
- Alex Gordon.
- Nick Markakis.
- Hunter Pence.
- Howie Kendrick.
- Daniel Murphy.
- Cole Hamels.
- Rick Porcello
- Gio Gonzalez.
Last year Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected to Cooperstown by the writers. Ichiro received 99.7% of the vote.
Carlos Beltran (70.3%) and Andruw Jones (66.2%) had a good showing last year and could reach 75% this year. Players can stay on the ballot for 10 years as long as they receive at least 5% of the vote annually.
Other holdovers from last year include:
- Mark Buehrle.
- Félix Hernández.
- Andy Pettitte.
- Francisco Rodríguez.
- Dustin Pedroia.
- Alex Rodríguez.
- Jimmy Rollins.
- Chase Utley.
- David Wright.
- Bobby Abreu.
- Torii Hunter.
Ballots must be returned by Dec. 31. The results will be announced at 6 p.m. onJan. 20.
Paul Hoynes, born in Cleveland, has been the beat writer for the Indians/Guardians since 1983. He attended Cathedral Latin High School in Cleveland and received a journalism degree from Marquette University. He…
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