Yankees on the 2026 BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot - Suspect Stars
In our first look at former Yankees on the 2026 BBWAA ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame, we focused on players who spent only a brief portion of their career with the Yankees. This time around, we'll dig into two players who are primarily known as Yankees and would likely be in the Hall of Fame already had steroids not been an issue during their careers. Before we get to those juicy stories, there's one more former Yankee on the ballot who has the best shot at election this year. Albeit with his own bit controversy that likely held him back from enshrinement in Cooperstown last year. Get your popcorn ready, it's high drama Hall of Fame time here at Jimmy Sez!
For each player, their JAWS (Jaffe Average WAR Score, developed by Jay Jaffe) value is given along with the average Hall of Famer's JAWS at the player's position. JAWS is a Hall of Fame rating system based on WAR that incorporates both career and peak value. If you're interested in learning more about this, click here.
Carlos Beltran - Center Fielder, JAWS: 57.2, HoF JAWS: 58.0
Over the course of 20 years, Carlos Beltran put up some seriously impressive numbers. He scored over 1,500 runs and drove in another 1,500 with his more than 2,700 career hits. He drew over 1,000 walks, stroked over 550 doubles and went yard more than 400 times. If all that wasn't impressive enough, he also stole more than 300 bases. He's the only player in baseball history to surpass each of those thresholds and not be named Barry Bonds. Yet even with steering clear of any steroid whispers, Beltran was never really considered a slam dunk Hall of Fame candidate during his playing days.
Is it because Beltran doesn't hold up according to advanced metrics? Couldn't be. Those indicate that he was as complete a player as there's ever been in baseball. For his career he compiled 262 batting runs above average, 55 baserunning runs above average, and 39 fielding runs above average (for more detail on how those things are calculated, see my WAR primer). Only two players in major league history put up higher totals than Beltran in all three categories: Willie Mays and Rickey Henderson, two inner-circle Hall of Famers. So what was it about Beltran that made his obvious greatness not so obvious to those covering baseball when he played?
I'll start by mentioning Darrell Evans. What the hell does a third baseman from the 70's and 80's have to do with Carlos Beltran? I'm glad you asked. In his Historical Baseball Abstract - essential reading for any baseball fan - Bill James used Evans as a prime example of the ten things that make a baseball player underrated.
James goes into a fair amount of detail, but to summarize, those ten things are: 1) Specialists are overrated, players who do several things well are underrated; 2) Batting average is overrated, extra bases and walks are underrated; 3) Runs batted in are overrated, runs scored are underrated; 4) Players on championship teams get overrated, players on bad teams are underrated; 5) Players in New York/LA can be overrated, players in smaller cities can be underrated; 6) Talkative players tend to be overrated, quiet players tend to be underrated; 7) A player's home field can determine whether they're underrated or overrated; 8) The era in which a player played can determine whether they're underrated or overrated; 9) Undocumented skills (leadership, defense, heads-up play) tend to be forgotten over time; 10) A player who has a good career with one team will be thought of more highly than a player who does the same things, but with many teams.
By my count, eight of these points apply to Carlos Beltran: 1) He had no weaknesses in his game, but also no overwhelming strength; 2) His career batting average of .279 is pretty good, but not earth-shattering, he made up for that in many ways; 4) He didn't win a World Series until his final season in 2017 when he was 40, more on that season in a bit; 6) Media members never went to Beltran for a juicy quote; 7) His prime was spent mostly in Shea Stadium and Citi Field, both pitcher-friendly parks; 8) The steroid era was ending and offense in general was gradually declining as he was becoming a star player; 9) He was a well-respected and smart player who was pegged to be a manager right after his playing career...until bad things happened; 10) He played for seven different teams, and played well at every stop.
Add it all up, and Beltran might be one of the most underrated players in baseball history.
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All under-ration aside, the real story for Beltran when it comes to the Hall of Fame is the Astros' sign-stealing scheme that he played a key role in during the 2017 season. It was reported in 2019 that during that championship season for the Astros, they had designed and successfully implemented a system using on-field cameras to steal catchers' signs and communicate them to the hitter via banging trash cans, or maybe even electronically in some cases. An official investigation was launched by MLB as a result of the report.
In January 2020, MLB announced its findings. Alex Cora, who was the bench coach of the Astros in 2017, was identified as having developed the scheme with a group of players early on in the season. However, only one player was identified by name and it was Carlos Beltran. As a 20-year veteran at that point, he was likely the most reliable player on the team when it came to recognizing a catchers' signs.
The punishment handed down by MLB was severe. A $5 million fine for the Astros, and they also lost the rights to their first and second round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts. Manager A.J. Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow were suspended for the entire 2020 season, only to be fired hours later by Astros owner Jim Crane. Cora, who was managing the Red Sox by this time, would eventually serve a year-long suspension as well as part of another investigation that involved sign-stealing and his 2018 World Series champion Red Sox team.
Beltran received no explicit punishment for his role in the scheme. However, after being hired to be the new Mets manager in November 2019, he and the Mets announced just days after MLB's findings were published that they mutually agreed to part ways. He then made a public apology and expressed deep regret for his role in the scheme.
So what should we make of this unfortunate situation that has come to define Beltran in recent years? Let's start with the fact that in 2020 it was reported that the wheels were in motion for the Astros' scheme in 2016, a year before Beltran re-joined the team for his final season. Initially it seemed that he had co-masterminded it with Cora, but this confirms that he was merely a participant, if that matters to you.
Let's also consider sign-stealing and its role in baseball. Much like chewing tobacco, brushback pitches, and bench-clearing brawls, stealing signs has been an unsavory, but accepted part of baseball since the game was conceived. This article gives a nice rundown of sign-stealing history in the game. Stealing signs has even likely played a key role in some of the most memorable moments in baseball history, including The Shot Heard 'Round the World.
Does that mean that stealing signs is OK and we should just ignore it? Of course not. When a team makes it as obvious as the Astros did, punishments should be doled out to those involved, and then we can all move on with our baseball lives. In losing his managerial job before it started, I'd say Beltran served his punishment. Now we should move on and put him in the museum that celebrates baseball's greatest players, because he was certainly one of them when he played.
The BBWAA made it clear initially that they weren't quite ready for Beltran as a Hall of Famer. In his debut on the ballot in 2023, he garnered 46.5% of the vote. That's better than the Bonds/Clemens/A-Rod contingent fared in their first years on the ballot. In 2024, his share of the vote improved by more than 10%, up to 57.1%, proving that his fate would not mirror those of the steroid crew. Last year he received more than 70% of the vote and was within 20 votes of getting the 75% needed for election. On 2026 ballots that have gone public so far, Beltran has been named on nearly 90% of them. Before long, Beltran will have a plaque in Cooperstown, and rightfully so.
Andy Pettitte - Starting Pitcher, JAWS: 47.2, HoF JAWS: 61.3
No pitcher in Yankee history has started more games than Andy Pettitte. He and Whitey Ford both have 438 career starts in pinstripes, which is poetic in a way. They were both tough as nails lefties with confidence that far exceeded their talent and for that reason were especially lethal in October.
When it comes to his Hall of Fame case, Pettitte's achievements in the regular season come tantalizingly close to the Hall of Fame standard. He fell short of 300 wins, but his 256 career victories are more than Hall of Famers Jack Morris, Carl Hubbell, and Bob Gibson. He never earned a Cy Young Award, but he finished within the top six of the voting five times. His arm wasn't overpowering, but he rode an effective cut fastball to a career ERA that was 17% above average. If you squint hard enough, he could be worthy of enshrinement.
Where Pettitte's case really comes into focus, though, is his playoff record. From his sophomore season in 1996 all the way through to the end of his career, he was the man the Yankees looked to when they absolutely needed a win come October. No pitcher in major league history has started more playoff games, pitched more playoff innings, or won more playoff games than Pettitte.
As a 37-year old in 2009 Pettitte cemented his legacy as a great big game pitcher. That year he became the first ever starting pitcher to win the series-clinching game in the Division, League Championship and World Series in the same year. Those three victories gave him six playoff series-clinching wins for his career, also an all-time record. This adds some serious heft to his credentials, and under normal circumstances would probably push him over the bar for most voters. But for Pettitte, there's a catch.
Like his good friend and teammate Roger Clemens, Pettitte was named in the Mitchell Report as having used HGH (human growth hormone) multiple times illegally in 2002. The source of the information was Brian McNamee - Clemens' trainer - and Pettitte readily admitted to using HGH twice in order to expedite his recovery from an elbow injury while denying any further use. This was a far cry from Clemens' take on the matter.
A few months after the Mitchell Report was released, it was revealed that during a court hearing that went public Pettitte had also admitted to further HGH use in 2004 when his father was prescribed it for a serious illness. He also described Clemens as detailing his steroid use to him in the late 1990's, just as McNamee had done in the Mitchell Report.
It would have been nice if Pettitte had revealed this additional use during his first admission of guilt for the 2002 evidence. The fact that he didn't made it reasonable to question anything he was saying as fact, but when he reported to spring training in 2008, he came clean on everything and offered heartfelt apologies to his teammates, fans and family.
It was refreshing that Pettitte eventually was honest and forthcoming about his transgressions. It wasn't a popular tactic among those found guilty of steroid use at the time and cost him his friendship with Clemens. Unfortunately, he hasn't scored any points with the BBWAA as a result. In his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2019 he received only about 10% of the vote and he saw only modest increases over the next five years. However, in 2025 he was named on nearly 28% of the ballots, by far his largest share to date. Better yet, he'll certainly be improving on that high water mark in 2026 as he's been named on more than 57% of public ballots. Still, there's a lot of ground to catch up and with only two voting cycles left for him, not a lot of time to do it in.
What seems more likely for Pettitte is that he'll fall just shy of the Hall of Fame at the hands of the BBWAA. If so, it wouldn't be surprising to see a veterans committee elect Pettitte somewhere down the line as the stance against steroids within the baseball community continues to soften. Given his contrite apologies regarding HGH use, he'd be far from the worst character in baseball to be enshrined.
As a starting pitcher in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars, a full profile on Andy Pettitte can be found there.
Alex Rodriguez - Shortstop, JAWS: 90.8, HoF JAWS: 55.4
Much like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, the case for Alex Rodriguez as a Hall of Famer based strictly on his on-field performance is a layup. He was a three-time MVP who collected over 3,000 hits, scored 2,000 runs, drove in another 2,000 and smacked nearly 700 home runs. If that wasn't enough, he was also an excellent baserunner and played shortstop at a Gold Glove level. You could cut A-Rod in half and have two Hall of Famers if you'd like.
The similarities to Clemens and Bonds don't stop there, though. When it comes to the Hall of Fame, Rodriguez's fate will entirely depend on how his complicated relationship with steroid use is dealt with by the voters. The ten-year journey for Clemens and Bonds on the ballot has shown us that there is no clear path to the Hall of Fame for a transcendent baseball player if steroids are a part of his story. When or if they both gain election, it won't be without much resistance from certain pockets of the baseball community. However, their history with steroids is a fairly straightforward one. They have always vehemently denied using steroids and have been willing to take it all the way to federal court where they've been miraculously successful.
That's where the case of Alex Rodriguez diverges. There simply has not been anything similar to the tragicomedy that A-Rod's adventure with steroids became. Despite his unique path as a steroid user in baseball, which we'll get to in a moment, the results for A-Rod in his first three years on the ballot were very similar to those of Clemens and Bonds. Will that continue?
Before taking a guess at Rodriguez's Hall of Fame fate, let's take a stab at making the complicated simple here. It's impossible to know exactly how and when he used steroids and other performance enhancers, but what we can do is track chronologically all of the public stories that involve A-Rod and drug use. Here goes:
Before taking a guess at Rodriguez's Hall of Fame fate, let's take a stab at making the complicated simple here. It's impossible to know exactly how and when he used steroids and other performance enhancers, but what we can do is track chronologically all of the public stories that involve A-Rod and drug use. Here goes:
2007
Shortly after the Mitchell Report was published, Rodriguez took part in an interview with Katie Couric on 60 Minutes where he denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs. Considering that his name wasn't included on the report, this was a curious choice for A-Rod. He went on to opine that if there was truth to the allegations that those named in the report were using steroids, it would be a black eye for the sport.
This interview was completely voluntary for Rodriguez. He could have stayed quiet on the whole steroid issue in baseball. As we'll see in the coming years he probably should have.
Shortly after the Mitchell Report was published, Rodriguez took part in an interview with Katie Couric on 60 Minutes where he denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs. Considering that his name wasn't included on the report, this was a curious choice for A-Rod. He went on to opine that if there was truth to the allegations that those named in the report were using steroids, it would be a black eye for the sport.
This interview was completely voluntary for Rodriguez. He could have stayed quiet on the whole steroid issue in baseball. As we'll see in the coming years he probably should have.
2008
In his second book detailing his rich history of steroid use, Jose Canseco claimed that he had introduced Rodriguez to a known supplier of steroids. A-Rod mostly stayed mum on this one, neither confirming nor denying the allegation. His silence on the topic was a little too late.
In his second book detailing his rich history of steroid use, Jose Canseco claimed that he had introduced Rodriguez to a known supplier of steroids. A-Rod mostly stayed mum on this one, neither confirming nor denying the allegation. His silence on the topic was a little too late.
2009
Just prior to spring training a Sports Illustrated report revealed the names of some of the 104 players that tested positive for steroids as part of MLB's survey testing done in 2003. Alex Rodriguez was one of those names.
The survey testing was supposed to be anonymous and the names were revealed under shady circumstances. Furthermore, testing back then wasn't nearly as accurate as it would become. So false positives were within the realm of possibility. That was all beside the point for A-Rod though.
Soon after the names were leaked, Rodriguez tried his best to get ahead of it and took part in a damage control interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons. In it he was very specific in that he used steroids only from 2001 through 2003, the years he played for the Texas Rangers. He made the case that after signing the largest free agent contract in baseball history he felt pressure to perform, hence the need for something extra.
Of course, all this interview did was reveal that Rodriguez lied in the Couric interview, and therefore what he was saying in that moment also couldn't be trusted. Sure enough, a book published later in the year by Selena Roberts - one of the reporters who revealed the names for Sports Illustrated - accused A-Rod of steroid use going all the way back to his high school days. In his efforts to squash his own steroid story, he just kept digging himself further into the mess.
Just prior to spring training a Sports Illustrated report revealed the names of some of the 104 players that tested positive for steroids as part of MLB's survey testing done in 2003. Alex Rodriguez was one of those names.
The survey testing was supposed to be anonymous and the names were revealed under shady circumstances. Furthermore, testing back then wasn't nearly as accurate as it would become. So false positives were within the realm of possibility. That was all beside the point for A-Rod though.
Soon after the names were leaked, Rodriguez tried his best to get ahead of it and took part in a damage control interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons. In it he was very specific in that he used steroids only from 2001 through 2003, the years he played for the Texas Rangers. He made the case that after signing the largest free agent contract in baseball history he felt pressure to perform, hence the need for something extra.
Of course, all this interview did was reveal that Rodriguez lied in the Couric interview, and therefore what he was saying in that moment also couldn't be trusted. Sure enough, a book published later in the year by Selena Roberts - one of the reporters who revealed the names for Sports Illustrated - accused A-Rod of steroid use going all the way back to his high school days. In his efforts to squash his own steroid story, he just kept digging himself further into the mess.
2010
About a year after the Sports Illustrated bombshell, a New York Times story linked Rodriguez to a Canadian doctor that was under investigation for providing performance-enhancing drugs to high profile athletes in the United States. This was a minor revelation that never stirred much controversy, but did basically confirm that A-Rod was likely lying during his Gammons interview as well.
About a year after the Sports Illustrated bombshell, a New York Times story linked Rodriguez to a Canadian doctor that was under investigation for providing performance-enhancing drugs to high profile athletes in the United States. This was a minor revelation that never stirred much controversy, but did basically confirm that A-Rod was likely lying during his Gammons interview as well.
2013
In January a Miami New Times story revealed that the local Biogenesis clinic was the source for performance-enhancing drugs for multiple players that had recently tested positive and were suspended by MLB. Some other high profile players were linked to the clinic as well, the biggest name being Alex Rodriguez.
While A-Rod had not tested positive for steroids since formal MLB testing began in 2005, the report went on to detail how he frequently purchased performance-enhancing drugs from Biogenesis between 2009 and 2012. By now, we know that Rodriguez's desperate need to try and draw attention back to himself in a positive way would prevent him from keeping his mouth shut in this situation.
As expected, Rodriguez doubled down and denied the allegations. When MLB launched an investigation into the situation, he dug in his heels and refused to cooperate, pointing fingers in every direction to deflect blame along the way. At the same time he also decided to start feuding with the Yankee front office over the status of his injured hip, because one controversy wasn't enough.
To be fair, as more details about the situation were released, it wasn't just A-Rod who looked bad. Anthony Bosch (the proprietor of Biogenesis), the MLB commissioner's office, the reporters investigating the story, and the Yankee front office were all complicit in the fiasco. Bribery, obtaining information illegally, lying, making baseless accusations, you name it, they were all doing it. Everyone involved should have been embarrassed.
Ultimately, MLB handed down a whopping 211-game suspension to Rodriguez, by far the longest drug-related suspension in league history. He immediately appealed, which allowed him to play out the rest of the 2013 season when he was finally healthy enough.
When the appeal process began in the off-season, Rodriguez was incensed by what he found to be unfair treatment. Hilariously, he even went so far as to leave an arbitration hearing early to head straight to WFAN studios for an impromptu interview with Mike Francesa. Despite putting on an Academy Award-worthy performance as the victim in this situation, A-Rod didn't win anybody over.
In January a Miami New Times story revealed that the local Biogenesis clinic was the source for performance-enhancing drugs for multiple players that had recently tested positive and were suspended by MLB. Some other high profile players were linked to the clinic as well, the biggest name being Alex Rodriguez.
While A-Rod had not tested positive for steroids since formal MLB testing began in 2005, the report went on to detail how he frequently purchased performance-enhancing drugs from Biogenesis between 2009 and 2012. By now, we know that Rodriguez's desperate need to try and draw attention back to himself in a positive way would prevent him from keeping his mouth shut in this situation.
As expected, Rodriguez doubled down and denied the allegations. When MLB launched an investigation into the situation, he dug in his heels and refused to cooperate, pointing fingers in every direction to deflect blame along the way. At the same time he also decided to start feuding with the Yankee front office over the status of his injured hip, because one controversy wasn't enough.
To be fair, as more details about the situation were released, it wasn't just A-Rod who looked bad. Anthony Bosch (the proprietor of Biogenesis), the MLB commissioner's office, the reporters investigating the story, and the Yankee front office were all complicit in the fiasco. Bribery, obtaining information illegally, lying, making baseless accusations, you name it, they were all doing it. Everyone involved should have been embarrassed.
Ultimately, MLB handed down a whopping 211-game suspension to Rodriguez, by far the longest drug-related suspension in league history. He immediately appealed, which allowed him to play out the rest of the 2013 season when he was finally healthy enough.
When the appeal process began in the off-season, Rodriguez was incensed by what he found to be unfair treatment. Hilariously, he even went so far as to leave an arbitration hearing early to head straight to WFAN studios for an impromptu interview with Mike Francesa. Despite putting on an Academy Award-worthy performance as the victim in this situation, A-Rod didn't win anybody over.
2014
Arbitration wrapped up in January and the verdict for Rodriguez was a 162-game suspension, meaning he would miss the entire 2014 season. He initially intended on taking the case to higher courts. Instead, he finally came to the realization that he should have come to six years earlier. A-Rod would accept his punishment, lay low, and spend his time, money, and effort on rehabilitating his image.
Fallout
When Rodriguez returned to baseball in 2015, he understandably was showered with loud boos wherever he went. But his time off helped him significantly both on the field and off. As he enjoyed a renaissance season with the bat, he used his time on the road as an apology tour of sorts. In moments where he would previously assign blame to the those around him for his transgressions, he now took ownership of what he had done in the past. He was finally honest and sincerely apologetic about his role in the circus his career had become.
In a babyface turn that would make even Rowdy Roddy Piper jealous, Rodriguez incomprehensibly turned those boos into cheers by season's end. He's even managed to convince MLB to allow him to have an ever increasing role in covering nationally televised baseball games as a commentator. That's all good and well, but what do Hall of Fame voters think?
On one hand, no player has ever had anything near the documented history of steroid use that A-Rod had in his career. On the other hand, he never actually tested positive for steroid use when formal testing was instituted. Back to the first hand, it took many years of getting caught in a web of lies for Rodriguez to finally fess up and apologize for real when it came to steroid use. Switching hands again, no high profile player accused of using steroids has ever spent an entire baseball season apologizing to the baseball community and owning his mistakes.
Thus far, voters are beginning to give us a clear understanding as to where they stand on the A-Rod Hall of Fame issue and it closely follows the blueprint established with the highest profile stars closely tied to steroid use in the past. We can best expect a modest increase on the ~35% share of the vote that he's collected in his first four years of eligibility. Clemens and Bonds rode similar modest increases all the way up to 65% of the vote in their tenth year on the ballot, which was still well short of election. Despite A-Rod's (eventual) steroid admission and the fact that he's still front and center in the baseball conversation thanks to his job as a TV studio analyst, his Cooperstown fate doesn't seem to be breaking new ground. Then again, A-Rod's shocked us all before.
As a third baseman in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars, a full profile on Alex Rodriguez can be found there.
Arbitration wrapped up in January and the verdict for Rodriguez was a 162-game suspension, meaning he would miss the entire 2014 season. He initially intended on taking the case to higher courts. Instead, he finally came to the realization that he should have come to six years earlier. A-Rod would accept his punishment, lay low, and spend his time, money, and effort on rehabilitating his image.
Fallout
When Rodriguez returned to baseball in 2015, he understandably was showered with loud boos wherever he went. But his time off helped him significantly both on the field and off. As he enjoyed a renaissance season with the bat, he used his time on the road as an apology tour of sorts. In moments where he would previously assign blame to the those around him for his transgressions, he now took ownership of what he had done in the past. He was finally honest and sincerely apologetic about his role in the circus his career had become.
In a babyface turn that would make even Rowdy Roddy Piper jealous, Rodriguez incomprehensibly turned those boos into cheers by season's end. He's even managed to convince MLB to allow him to have an ever increasing role in covering nationally televised baseball games as a commentator. That's all good and well, but what do Hall of Fame voters think?
On one hand, no player has ever had anything near the documented history of steroid use that A-Rod had in his career. On the other hand, he never actually tested positive for steroid use when formal testing was instituted. Back to the first hand, it took many years of getting caught in a web of lies for Rodriguez to finally fess up and apologize for real when it came to steroid use. Switching hands again, no high profile player accused of using steroids has ever spent an entire baseball season apologizing to the baseball community and owning his mistakes.
Thus far, voters are beginning to give us a clear understanding as to where they stand on the A-Rod Hall of Fame issue and it closely follows the blueprint established with the highest profile stars closely tied to steroid use in the past. We can best expect a modest increase on the ~35% share of the vote that he's collected in his first four years of eligibility. Clemens and Bonds rode similar modest increases all the way up to 65% of the vote in their tenth year on the ballot, which was still well short of election. Despite A-Rod's (eventual) steroid admission and the fact that he's still front and center in the baseball conversation thanks to his job as a TV studio analyst, his Cooperstown fate doesn't seem to be breaking new ground. Then again, A-Rod's shocked us all before.
As a third baseman in The New York Yankees All-Time All-Stars, a full profile on Alex Rodriguez can be found there.
All numbers used in this article were obtained from Baseball Reference.
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