Baseball’s 2027 Corridor of Fame poll gained’t function many new heavy hitters, however at the very least one contemporary addition has a compelling case for Cooperstown.
That will be former San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey, who headlines the record of newcomers eligible to be voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America (BBWAA).
Posey gained three World Collection championships and was the 2012 Nationwide League MVP throughout his 12-year profession from 2009-21, all with the Giants.
He was the 2010 NL Rookie of the Yr, a seven-time All-Star, a five-time Silver Slugger recipient and a Gold Glove winner.
Posey led the majors with a career-best .336 common in 2012, making him the fourth catcher in MLB historical past to win a batting title. He batted .302 for his profession.
Working in opposition to Posey are unspectacular counting stats, as he totaled only one,500 hits and 158 dwelling runs throughout his comparatively brief enjoying profession.
A participant has not been elected with fewer than 1,600 profession hits since Jackie Robinson (1,563) in 1962, in accordance with MLB Community.
Posey’s profession wins above substitute (WAR) of 45.0 through Baseball Reference would even be beneath the typical amongst Corridor of Fame catchers, in accordance with FanGraphs’ JAWS comparability metric.
However Posey’s excessive peak, defensive prowess and central position on these 2010, 2012 and 2014 championship groups assist bolster his candidacy, even when he’s not a lock for first-ballot induction.
The opposite most notable newcomer is former left-handed starter Jon Lester, whose case is equally buoyed by postseason success.
Lester, too, was a three-time World Collection champion and pitched to a 2.51 ERA over 26 playoff appearances, together with 22 begins.
That included going 3-0 with a 1.77 ERA within the World Collection with the Boston Purple Sox (2007 and 2013) and curse-breaking Chicago Cubs (2016), for whom he was additionally NLCS MVP.
Lester was excellent over 16 common seasons from 2006-21, going 200-117 with a 3.66 ERA.
However Lester’s profession WAR of 43.5 pales fairly considerably compared to these of fellow lefties Andy Pettitte (60.7), Mark Buehrle (60.0) and Cole Hamels (57.9), all of whom additionally search Corridor of Fame election.
Others becoming a member of the poll embody longtime Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner (44.3 WAR); former Mets and Yankees outfielder Jay Bruce; right-hander Jake Arrieta; and third basemen Kyle Seager and Ryan Zimmerman.
The dearth of slam-dunk candidates becoming a member of the poll ought to profit a few of the holdovers.
Topping that record is former second baseman Chase Utley, who appeared on 59.1% of the ballots in 2026 — probably the most amongst anybody who was not elected.
A candidate should obtain 75% of the vote to be elected and has 10 years of eligibility.
Utley, who was in his third yr on the poll, nonetheless wants to look on greater than 15% of extra ballots to be inducted, although he did bounce by almost 20% (from 39.8%) from 2025 to 2026.
Over 16 seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers from 2003-18, Utley totaled 1,885 hits, 259 dwelling runs, a .275 common and an .823 OPS.
Utley’s 64.6 WAR ranks a bit beneath the typical quantity amongst Corridor of Fame second basemen (69.1), in accordance with JAWS.
Additionally hoping to make a leap are Pettitte, who simply appeared on 48.5% of the ballots in his eighth yr of eligibility, and former Seattle Mariners ace Félix Hernández, who acquired 46.1% of the vote in his second yr.
The Class of 2026 is made up of Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, who had been voted in by the BBWAA on Tuesday evening, and Jeff Kent, who was elected by the Modern Baseball Period Committee final month.
That committee is about to vote later this yr on managers, executives and umpires, with Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker amongst those that could possibly be elected for the Class of 2027. Bochy was Posey’s supervisor on all three World Collection titles.
