On Tuesday evening, the BBWAA will reveal whether they've voted to elect any players into the Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2026. But while a group of writers have been tasked with determining who is and isn't worthy of a spot in Cooperstown since the institution's founding back in the 1930s, the reality is that they don't always live up to that responsibility.
In fact, just about every fan base in the league has at least one axe to grind. And to prove it, we've assembled a list of each team's biggest Hall of Fame snub — only one per team, focusing only on players who could plausibly have put that team's logo on their cap had they made it into Cooperstown. Let's dive in.
Arizona Diamondbacks
OF Luis Gonzalez
Career WAR: 51.7 (HOF LF average: 65.3)
Seven-year peak WAR: 33.8 (HOF LF average: 41.7)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 103 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 48 (likely HOFer: 50)
Gonzalez’s walk-off hit to win the 2001 World Series is one of the most iconic moments in MLB history. In addition, he finished his career as a five-time All-Star with more than 2,500 hits, 350 home runs and 50 bWAR. His numbers might not be fully Hall of Fame-worthy, but he probably has a case when factoring in that massive postseason moment.
Atlanta Braves
OF Dale Murphy
Career WAR: 46.5 (HOF CF average: 71.3)
Seven-year peak WAR: 41.2 (HOF CF average: 44.6)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 116 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 34 (likely HOFer: 50)
Murphy’s peak was undoubtedly worthy of the Hall. He made six straight All-Star appearances, and seven over an eight-year span. He won back-to-back MVP awards in 1981 and 1982 and received MVP votes in each of the following four seasons. Unfortunately, an injury-riddled six-year stretch to end his career weakened his candidacy, as his numbers declined substantially. Still, Murphy’s accolades (two MVPs, five Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, seven All-Star nods), and overall numbers (2,111 hits, 398 homer, 121 OPS+ with elite center field defense) make him one of the biggest snubs on this list.
Athletics
3B Sal Bando
Career WAR: 61.5 (HOF 3B average: 68.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 44.4 (HOF 3B average: 43.4)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 35 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 25 (likely HOFer: 50)
From 1968-78, Bando made four All-Star teams and finished top-five in AL MVP voting three different times. And there's a good chance that was underselling how complete a player he was: Bando was a man born in the wrong era, an on-base machine — he walked more than he struck out over a 16-year MLB career spent mostly with the Athletics — and excellent defender at the hot corner whose value went underappreciated by a baseball media that didn't know how to properly account for either. He was one of the very best players at his position for more than a decade, and there is no A's threepeat without him.
Baltimore Orioles
SS Mark Belanger
Career WAR: 40.9 (HOF SS average: 67.7)
Seven-year peak WAR: 31.9 (HOF SS average: 43.2)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 59 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 16 (likely HOFer: 50)
We're focusing on players whose primary contributions came with the team in question, which means we're passing on names like Rafael Palmeiro and Bobby Grich who spent most of their best years elsewhere. (More on both of them in a bit.) And maybe Belanger is a better fit for the Hall of Very Good; his lifetime OPS+ is just 68, after all, and he made just one All-Star team.
But it's a sign of just how incredible he was defensively that, despite being a zero at the plate, he still averaged around four bWAR per year from 1968-78. His eight Gold Gloves are the second most by any non-Hall shortstop, behind only Omar Vizquel, and his dWAR is second all-time to only Ozzie Smith. If you think one of the best fielders to ever live belongs in Cooperstown, I don't blame you.
Boston Red Sox
RHP Roger Clemens
Career WAR: 139.2 (HOF SP average: 72.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 65.9 (HOF SP average: 49.8)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 332 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 73 (likely HOFer: 50)
Clemens peaked at 65.2% of the vote in his 10th and final year on the ballot back in 2022, and failed to be selected by the era committees this winter. He won't be eligible for Hall consideration again until 2031
Of course, unless you've been living under a rock, you know that has nothing to do with his performance on the mound. He's easily the best pitcher not currently in the Hall, a seven-time Cy Young winner who ranks third all-time in strikeouts behind Cy Young and Randy Johnson. The question is how much PEDs helped him compile those numbers; while Clemens never tested positive during his career, he was named multiple times in the Mitchell Report, and his response to the controversy didn't exactly help matters.
Chicago Cubs
OF Sammy Sosa
Career WAR: 58.6 (HOF RF average: 69.7)
Seven-year peak WAR: 43.8 (HOF RF average: 42.2)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 202 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 52 (likely HOFer: 50)
Sosa is one of nine MLB players to clear the 600-home run plateau, and he’s 31st in MLB history with 1,667 RBI across an 18-year career. He obviously has Hall of Fame numbers, but it's just as obvious that he'll never make it to Cooperstown due to PED allegations that have dogged him for two decades. We can argue about whether that's is justified or not, but on paper, the stats speak for themselves.
Chicago White Sox
OF 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson
Career WAR: 62.2 (HOF RF average: 69.7)
Seven-year peak WAR: 52.5 (HOF RF average: 42.2)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 121 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 40 (likely HOFer: 50)
In May of last year, commissioner Rob Manfred ruled that MLB's placement of a player on the permanently ineligible list expired after that player's death — meaning that Jackson, and the other members of the 1919 White Sox who took part in throwing that year's World Series, were newly eligible for election to Cooperstown.
And on paper, it's hard to argue against Jackson's inclusion. His career 170 OPS+ is still the 12th-best mark of all time, better than the likes of Ty Cobb, Stan Musial and Henry Aaron. He was also a terror on the bases, one of the greatest offensive forces of the Deadball Era. Jackson's involvement in the Black Sox scandal lingers despite his official status, but we'll have to see how the Hall handles it when he's first up for election in 2028.
Cincinnati Reds
OF Pete Rose
Career WAR: 79.6 (HOF LF average: 65.3)
Seven-year peak WAR: 44.9 (HOF LF average: 41.7)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 311 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 55 (likely HOFer: 50)
Rose has an even better on field-case for the Hall than Jackson does, as he’s MLB’s all-time hit king with 4,256 knocks. For reference, only one other player, Ty Cobb, has more than even 3,800. Rose was an MVP winner, a 17-time All-Star, a two-time Gold Glover and even a two-time World Series champ. What’s kept him out, though, is his banishment from the sport for betting on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. That ban was posthumously removed in 2025, but it remains to be seen whether Rose will ever get into the Hall.
Cleveland Guardians
OF Kenny Lofton
Career WAR: 68.4 (HOF CF average: 71.3)
Seven-year peak WAR: 43.4 (HOF CF average: 44.6)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 116 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 34 (likely HOFer: 50)
Among the sluggers of the Steroid Era, Lofton's offensive numbers are at risk of getting lost in the shuffle. But very few outfielders in the 1990s were better: From his first full season in the Majors in 1992 through 1999, the only outfielders with more fWAR were Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. He was an elite defensive center fielder, and when you consider the fact that he stole 50 or more bases six different times, his case becomes awfully compelling.
Colorado Rockies
SS Troy Tulowitzki
Career WAR: 44.8 (HOF SS average: 67.7)
Seven-year peak WAR: 40.3 (HOF SS average: 43.2)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 46 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 35 (likely HOFer: 50)
The Rockies are a newer franchise, so coming up with a major snub for them is tough. I’m not going to say Tulowitzki was deserving of a spot in Cooperstown, but his peak was as good as it gets from the shortstop position: He made the All-Star team five times in a six-year span, winning a pair of Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers as well. He struggled to stay healthy and productive after said peak, so he didn’t quite have the longevity that voters usually look for, but Tulowitzki was an awesome player.
Detroit Tigers
2B Lou Whitaker
Career WAR: 75.1 (HOF 2B average: 69.1)
Seven-year peak WAR: 37.9 (HOF 2B average: 44.1)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 46 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 35 (likely HOFer: 50)
Of all the snubs on this list, it's possible that Whitaker's is the most egregious. There were no extenuating circumstances clouding his candidacy, no betting scandals or steroid use. And by the numbers, there's no argument that Sweet Lou deserves a place in Cooperstown. He was consistently one of the best second baseman in the league, a slick fielder who posted an OPS+ of 120 or better nine different times. He also posted a four-plus bWAR season in three separate decades, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1978 and becoming a mainstay on the infield for Detroit until his retirement in the mid-1990s.
Houston Astros
OF Jose Cruz
Career WAR: 54.4 (HOF LF average: 65.3)
Seven-year peak WAR: 36.4 (HOF LF average: 41.7)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 28 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 28 (likely HOFer: 50)
Cruz got off to a late start, not breaking out until he was already in his late 20s. But once he did arrive, he was a force: He posted a 128 wRC+ from 1976-1984, and over that same span of time he ranks a close third among all outfielders in fWAR — ahead of other Hall of Famers like Dave Winfield, Dave Parker and Reggie Jackson. He didn't add much on either side of his peak years, but it's hard to argue that peak isn't worthy of serious consideration among the other giants of his era.
Kansas City Royals
RHP Kevin Appier
Career WAR: 54.5 (HOF SP average: 72.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 43.0 (HOF SP average: 49.8)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 32 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 24 (likely HOFer: 50)
The Royals currently boast just one Hall of Famer, legendary third baseman George Brett. But there are plenty of other homegrown candidates worthy of consideration, names like Amos Otis, Willie Wilson and Bret Saberhagen (all of whom cleared the 40 bWAR mark for their careers). In the end, though, we're going with Appier, second all-time in franchise bWAR and a legit ace for much of the 1990s.
His fWAR from 1990-1997 ranks third behind only Maddux and Clemens, and his ERA over that span ranks ninth — better than Randy Johnson, better than Curt Schilling, better than John Smoltz. Injuries derailed his 30s and threw him off a Hall-worthy track, but if you're more interested in peak than longevity, Appier's work in a brutal era for pitchers stacks up awfully well.
Los Angeles Angels
2B Bobby Grich
Career WAR: 71.1 (HOF 2B average: 69.1)
Seven-year peak WAR: 46.4 (HOF 2B average: 44.1)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 43 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 32 (likely HOFer: 50)
Exhibit A that Grich wasn't properly valued during his playing career: He led the American League in bWAR in 1973, and yet didn't even make the All-Star game that season, a casualty of how little we knew about defensive value until very recently. He's ninth all-time in fWAR among second basemen, and his 129 wRC+ is substantially better than 2026 Hall inductee Jeff Kent. He didn't have the one uber-elite skill that made him stand out, but he was simply an excellent two-way player for over a decade in the 1970s and 80s.
Los Angeles Dodgers
1B Steve Garvey
Career WAR: 38.1 (HOF 1B average: 64.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 28.8 (HOF 1B average: 42.0)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 131 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 32 (likely HOFer: 50)
Garvey broke out in 1974, when he won the NL MVP award and began a stretch of eight straight All-Star appearances. Garvey was even the NL MVP runner-up in 1978, and won four straight Gold Gloves at first base. He didn’t quite have the power numbers you’d expect from the position, but Garvey was as consistent and as durable as anyone in his era. What’s wildest about his Hall of Fame candidacy is that he received over 41 percent of the vote in his first ballot but never saw his stock improve after that.
Miami Marlins
OF Gary Sheffield
Career WAR: 60.5 (HOF RF average: 69.7)
Seven-year peak WAR: 38.0 (HOF RF average: 42.2)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 158 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 61 (likely HOFer: 50)
If Sheffield had to pick a team to represent on his cap at the Hall of Fame, he’d probably pick the Marlins, the franchise for which he played more seasons than any other. Unfortunately, alleged PED usage robbed Sheffield of the opportunity to make that choice: He undoubtedly had a Hall of Fame career, with over 2,600 hits, 500 home runs and a .907 OPS across parts of 22 seasons, but players suspected of using steroids have historically stood virtually no chance in the BBWAA vote.
Milwaukee Brewers
1B Cecil Cooper
Career WAR: 36.0 (HOF 1B average: 64.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 30.1 (HOF 1B average: 42.0)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 96 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 28 (likely HOFer: 50)
Add Ryan Braun, a player currently on the ballot but unlikely to get into the Hall, as a player punished from PED usage. Cecil Cooper, however, never used steroids, and had himself quite the career. Cooper was one of the most well-rounded hitters in the game in the early 1980s, but he didn’t make his first All-Star team until his ninth season. His slow start held him back from having Hall of Fame-worthy numbers.
Minnesota Twins
LHP Johan Santana
Career WAR: 51.7 (HOF SP average: 72.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 45.0 (HOF SP average: 49.8)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 82 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 35 (likely HOFer: 50)
As the years pass and the way baseball uses its starting pitchers continues to change, we're going to appreciate Santana's career more and more. He won three ERA titles in a five-year span, and his 2.89 mark from 2002 through 2010 was the best of any starter in the league. Injuries conspired to more or less end his career at age 31, but for for nearly a decade, Santana was the best of the best. So what if he didn't pitch as long as his peers in prior eras? Isn't celebrating the greatness of each generation the whole point? If Santana can't get in, how can anyone who pitches in the 21st century?
New York Mets
1B Keith Hernandez
Career WAR: 60.4 (HOF 1B average: 64.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 41.3 (HOF 1B average: 42.0)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 86 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 32 (likely HOFer: 50)
It’s pretty crazy that arguably the best defensive first baseman in MLB history, with 11 Gold Gloves to his name, isn’t a Hall of Famer — especially considering that Hernandez was a very good hitter, too. He had an .821 OPS in his career and even won an MVP award and a pair of World Series titles. He wasn’t a power hitter at a power-hitting position, but Hernandez checked just about every other Hall of Fame box.
New York Yankees
3B Graig Nettles
Career WAR: 68.0 (HOF 3B average: 68.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 42.4 (HOF 3B average: 43.4)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 63 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 31 (likely HOFer: 50)
No team is better represented in the Hall of Fame than the Yankees, and they should probably have at least one more if Nettles had gotten his due. He was a good offensive player rather than a great one; only four of his 22 MLB seasons featured an OPS+ of 120 or above. But when you combine that good offense with truly elite defense at the hot corner, you've got something that looks an awful lot like someone who belongs in Cooperstown. According to Fangraphs, only two position players (Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench) put up more fWAR than Nettles in the 1970s, putting him just ahead of the likes of Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt. I'm not sure I would defend that ranking with my chest, but it does show what kind of company he kept during his prime.
Philadelphia Phillies
RHP Curt Schilling
Career WAR: 79.5 (HOF SP average: 72.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 48.6 (HOF SP average: 49.8)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 171 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 46 (likely HOFer: 50)
Schilling could’ve represented a couple of teams on this list, but he spent nine of his 20 big-league seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies. A six-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young runner-up and one of the greatest postseason performers of his era, Schilling did more than enough on the mound to get into the Hall. But whether it was his ... "outspoken" personality or something else, he never did cross that 75 percent boundary. Schilling might be the best pitcher who didn’t use steroids and still missed out on a Hall of Fame induction.
Pittsburgh Pirates
RHP Bob Friend
Career WAR: 40.9 (HOF SP average: 72.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 33.0 (HOF SP average: 49.8)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 52 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 23 (likely HOFer: 50)
Friend, a three-time All-Star, wasn’t the best pitcher in the game at any point, but he was remarkably consistent. He racked up 11 straight 200+-inning seasons and led the National League in innings pitched in back-to-back years. He also had a rock-solid 3.58 ERA while throwing more innings than Hall of Famers like C.C. Sabathia and Mike Mussina. With outstanding longevity and durability, Friend racked up a good amount of WAR; his resume isn’t good enough to be Hall of Fame-worthy, but his career was impressive nonetheless.
San Diego Padres
1B Adrian Gonzalez
Career WAR: 43.6 (HOF 1B average: 64.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 34.7 (HOF 1B average: 42.0)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 90 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 31 (likely HOFer: 50)
Gonzalez was as well-rounded a first baseman as there was in the late 2000s. Not only was he a star hitter, but he won three Gold Gloves in a four-year span and four overall in his career. Gonzalez was also a five-time All-Star and finished his career with over 2,000 hits, 300 home runs and 1,200 RBI. He was often overshadowed by other stars at the positoin like Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols, but he deserved better than being dropped on his first ballot.
San Francisco Giants
OF Barry Bonds
Career WAR: 162.8 (HOF RF average: 69.7)
Seven-year peak WAR: 72.7 (HOF RF average: 42.2)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 340 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 77 (likely HOFer: 50)
You knew he’d be here, and you know exactly why. Bonds is, by all accounts, the greatest hitter ever. He’s the all-time home run leader, both in a single season and in a career, and he happened to get on base at an absurd 44.4 percent clip as well. There has not been and likely will never be a more feared hitter than Bonds. Steroids are the reason why he has not and likely never will get to the Hall of Fame, but MLB fans everywhere continue to debate whether that’s justifiable.
Seattle Mariners
SS Alex Rodriguez
Career WAR: 117.4 (HOF SS average: 67.7)
Seven-year peak WAR: 64.3 (HOF SS average: 43.2)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 46 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 35 (likely HOFer: 50)
Rodriguez probably wouldn't go into the Hall wearing a Mariners cap (he spent seven years in Seattle compared to 12 with the Yankees, and he didn't exactly leave the Pacific Northwest on the best terms), but it's hard to find another worthy inclusion here. (Aside from Felix Hernandez, of course, who will take up a spot on this list if he doesn't find a way in during his time on the BBWAA ballot.) And besides, arguably A-Rod's best single season came with the Mariners: He put up 10.4 bWAR and a 163 OPS+ in 2000. His admission of PED use left him on the outs with voters, and he'll have to hope that future eras committees view him more favorably.
St. Louis Cardinals
3B Ken Boyer
Career WAR: 62.8 (HOF 3B average: 68.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 46.3 (HOF 3B average: 43.4)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 87 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 36 (likely HOFer: 50)
Boyer is one of the biggest snubs on this list, as he seemed to have the peak and the longevity to get to Cooperstown but fell short nonetheless. Boyer was one of the most well-rounded third basemen in MLB history, winning five Gold Glove awards and making 11 All-Star appearances. He even has an MVP and a World Series title with the St. Louis Cardinals to his name. His numbers suggest he should be in Cooperstown, but alas, he’s known as the best Cardinal to be left out of the Hall.
Tampa Bay Rays
UTIL Ben Zobrist
Career WAR: 44.7 (HOF 2B average: 69.1)
Seven-year peak WAR: 39.6 (HOF 2B average: 44.1)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 22 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 23 (likely HOFer: 50)
The Rays don't have a great candidate for this list, although they will once Evan Longoria begins his time on the ballot (and likely falls just short, if recent voting trends are any guide). Carl Crawford narrowly edges Zobrist in terms of bWAR accrued while with the franchise, but Zobrist has a clear edge overall thanks to his final few years with the Cubs.
And really, he's a player who deserves some more shine, someone who was never regarded as a star in his time but was an underrated hitter who put up star-caliber seasons thanks to his ability to excel at a lot of different things at a lot of different positions. To wit: From 2009-2014, only three position players (Miguel Cabrera, Andrew McCutchen and Robinson Cano) accrued more fWAR. Six years don't make a Hall of Fame case, but it was one heck of a career.
Texas Rangers
1B Rafael Palmeiro
Career WAR: 71.9 (HOF 1B average: 64.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 38.9 (HOF 1B average: 42.0)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 90 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 31 (likely HOFer: 50)
Palmeiro's on-paper resume is pretty much unimpeachable: 10 different seasons earning MVP votes, a 132 career OPS+ and one of the sweetest lefty swings of the modern era. But his suspension for a positive steroid test in 2005, just months after wagging his finger at Congress about how clean he was, permanently tarnished his reputation in the eyes of voters, and he dropped off the BBWAA ballot with little fanfare. There's no way to know what role PEDs played in Palmeiro's success, but he figures to have an uphill battle to make it to Cooperstown.
Toronto Blue Jays
RHP Dave Stieb
Career WAR: 56.4 (HOF SP average: 72.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 44.5 (HOF SP average: 49.8)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 56 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 27 (likely HOFer: 50)
Quite possibly one of the most underrated pitchers in MLB history, Stieb had two different stretches (1981-1985, 1988-1991) where he had a claim to being among the best starters in the league. He began the 1980s with five All-Star appearances and three top-five Cy Young finishes in a six-year span, and he won the ERA title in 1985. Injuries and a heavy workload in his 20s cut his career short unfairly, and he struggled through a fallow period in the middle of his career, but he deserved a longer look than he got based on how well his peak matches up to other pitchers in the Hall.
Washington Nationals
RHP Dennis Martinez
Career WAR: 48.7 (HOF SP average: 72.9)
Seven-year peak WAR: 33.3 (HOF SP average: 49.8)
Hall of Fame Monitor: 67 (likely HOFer: 100)
Hall of Fame Standards: 37 (likely HOFer: 50)
The Nats don't have any huge Hall of Fame busts just yet, but dating back to their Montreal Expos days, Dennis Martinez deserves more recognition. Martinez spent seven seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, but his peak came in Montreal: Three of his four All-Star Game nods came with the Expos, and he led the league with a 2.39 ERA in the 1991 season. Martinez doesn’t have the accolades or peak to have earned a spot in the Hall, but he’s the best this franchise has, at least until guys like Ryan Zimmerman and Max Scherzer become eligible.