Alex Gordon, an All-Star outfielder who spent 14 seasons with the Royals, is among 12 first-time candidates for the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Baseball Writers of America unveiled their 2026 ballot on Monday.
The other newcomers to the ballot include Ryan Braun, Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnacion, Gio Gonzalez, Cole Hamels, Howie Kendrick, Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis, Daniel Murphy, Hunter Pence, and Rick Porcello.
Gordon was a three-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glove winner, twice earning the Platinum Glove for top overall defender. He collected 1,643 career hits and 190 home runs, and was a lifetime .257/.338/.410 hitter, spending his entire career with the Royals. He finished 12th in MVP voting in 2014, when the Royals won a pennant, and it was his home run in Game 1 of the 2015 World Series that sent the game into extra innings, allowing the Royals to win and eventually take the series.
The 12 newcomers join 15 players carried over from previous ballots, including former Royals outfielder Carlos Beltrán. Beltrán earned 70.3 percent of the vote last year, his third year on the ballot, just short of the 75 percent necessary for induction. Andruw Jones is the only other returning candidate who received more than 50 percent of the vote last year, earning 66.2 percent of the vote. Other returning candidates include Bobby Abreu, Mark Buehrle, Félix Hernández, Dustin Pedroia, Andy Pettitte, Manny Ramirez, Alex Rodriguez, Francisco Rodriguez, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Omar Vizquel, and David Wright.
Results will be announced live on MLB Network on January 20.
