Twelve players are on the 2026 Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Hall of Fame ballot for the first time. Every member of that dozen secured their spot on the ballot by putting up huge numbers, winning awards, making All-Star teams and/or being at their best in the postseason over an MLB career that spanned at least a decade.
Braun, the Brewers’ all-time home run leader, spent his entire 14-year career with Milwaukee. Only Hall of Famers Robin Yount and Paul Molitor had more hits with the club. The 2011 National League MVP was a Brewer through and through. During a game against the Mets on April 28, 2019, Braun’s deep ties to the franchise became hilariously literal.
While going back to the wall on a deep fly from Mets rookie Pete Alonso, Braun jumped and didn’t come down with the ball. He did, however, come down with about half a cup of beer on his uniform. A Mets fan inadvertently spilled their beverage all over Braun right in front of the fence, dousing the left fielder. The play resulted in Alonso’s first career triple and in Braun probably needing a little wardrobe change after the inning.
Choo is at the center of the most painful and unfortunate entry on this list. Facing Royals left-hander Danny Duffy on May 24, 2018, Choo watched a pitch sail wide and into the dirt. The offering was so far off the plate that Rangers teammate Delino DeShields decided to take off from first base and try to steal second. And he probably would have made it safely … if not for Choo’s face.
That’s because when the pitch hit the dirt, it bounced up, deflected off of Royals catcher Salvador Perez and then nailed Choo right in his mug. As he staggered away from the plate, the ball died right in front of Perez, who picked it up and fired a strike to second base to nab DeShields.
Encarnación bashed 424 homers across 16 big league seasons, and an imaginary parrot was perched atop his raised right arm for most of those strolls around the bases. The Blue Jays celebrated the slugger’s distinctive trot with