While the Baseball Hall of Fame’s 2026 class did not include any former Boston Red Sox players, the recent ballot reveal featured noteworthy developments for a couple of familiar names associated with the franchise.
Dustin Pedroia, in his second year of eligibility, saw a significant jump in his vote total, garnering 20.7% of the votes this year compared to 11.9% last year. Despite this positive momentum, he remains far below the 75% threshold needed for induction, but he will have the opportunity to continue his candidacy with a return to the ballot for a third time next year.
Manny Ramírez, on the other hand, fell short of induction in his final year on the writers’ ballot, receiving 38.8% of the votes. Ramírez’s impressive accolades, which include 555 career home runs, highlight his merit for induction. However, challenges arising from multiple positive tests for performance-enhancing drugs have made voters reluctant to support him. Ramírez will be eligible for reconsideration by an Era Committee made up primarily of former players in the future. Interestingly, high-profile players like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have faced similar challenges, having been denied induction twice by such committees.
Rick Porcello, the 2016 American League Cy Young Award winner, was also on this year’s ballot for the first time but received only two votes, accounting for 0.5% of the total cast. Consequently, he will not return for the next election cycle.
These ballot results could be encouraging for Pedroia’s prospects moving forward. Notably, fellow second baseman Chase Utley has gained traction toward induction, jumping from 39.8% to 59.1% in his vote total. This trend may bode well for Pedroia’s future elections, as he may benefit from increased support for players in similar positions.
Looking ahead, several former Red Sox players will be eligible for the writers’ ballot in 2027, including Jon Lester, Josh Reddick, Pablo Sandoval, Andrew Miller, and Jonathan Lucroy. Lester, who was recently inducted into Boston’s team Hall of Fame, will particularly attract attention as he navigates his Hall of Fame candidacy.
The evolving support for former players offers a hopeful perspective as fans anticipate future Hall of Fame discussions and potential inductions.