Predicting Future Baseball Hall of Fame Classes for 2027 through 2031

2027

Who Will Get In: No One Notable First Ballot Candidates: Buster Posey, Jon Lester, Ryan Zimmerman Final Year on Ballot: Omar Vizquel

With Andruw Jones elected in 2026, Cooperstown is shaping up to be a near ghost town next summer. Félix Hernández and Chase Utley posted strong vote totals, but it would be extremely difficult for either to make the necessary leap next year.

The top first-time candidate on the 2027 ballot is Buster Posey. While Posey clearly has a Hall of Fame résumé, voters are likely to scrutinize his case because he finished his 12-year career with just over 1,500 hits. That skepticism may be misplaced: Posey owns the tenth-highest peak bWAR of any catcher, and the only catcher above him not currently in the Hall of Fame is Thurman Munson.

Posey will eventually get his call to Cooperstown, but it won’t come in 2027.

2028

Who Will Get In: Félix Hernández, Albert Pujols, Chase Utley Notable First Ballot Candidates: Albert Pujols, Robinson Cano, Yadier Molina Final Year on Ballot: Andy Pettitte

Based on their current trajectories, Hernández and Utley are all but locks for induction in 2028. A light 2027 ballot will only make it easier for them to gain the necessary support.

Albert Pujols, on the other hand, will face no difficulty earning votes. As a member of both the 700-home-run and 3,000-hit clubs, his Hall of Fame credentials are undeniable. The only real question is whether he will receive 100 percent of the vote.

2029

Who Will Get In: Zack Greinke, Miguel Cabrera Notable First Ballot Candidates: Zack Greinke, Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Evan Longoria, Josh Donaldson Final Year on Ballot: Bobby Abreu

In the coming years, this ballot is shaping up to be the strongest of them all. If there’s ever a time to book a trip to Cooperstown, it’s the summer of 2029.

Cabrera is a member of both the 500-home-run and 3,000-hit clubs, while Greinke fell just short of 3,000 strikeouts but still owns the 25th-best s-JAWS score among all starting pitchers.

2030

Who Will Get In: Buster Posey and Joey Votto Notable First Ballot Candidates: Johnny Cueto, Anthony Rizzo, Anthony Rendon Final Year on Ballot: Mark Buehrle and Torii Hunter

A crowded ballot and the absence of eye-popping traditional milestones may keep Joey Votto from being elected in 2029. However, a lighter ballot in 2030 should push him over the line. Votto finished his career with 359 home runs and 2,135 hits — numbers that pale in comparison to fellow first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who is expected to be inducted the year before.

That comparison, however, undersells Votto’s true value. By JAWS, he ranks as a top-15 first baseman of all time, and his peak bWAR places him among the top ten at the position. Traditional counting stats fail to fully capture the excellence of Votto’s career, while modern metrics present a much clearer Hall of Fame case.

When stacked directly against Cabrera, voters may struggle to justify a first-ballot induction for Votto. But on a lighter ballot, where he would likely serve as the headliner, he should have little trouble gaining entry.

Buster Posey is another holdover who deserves his turn. His 1,500 hits and 158 home runs may appear underwhelming, but his career was anything but. Posey won three World Series titles in 12 seasons, captured an MVP award, and finished with a .302 career batting average. Old-school voters may delay his induction, but it will be difficult to ignore both his leadership during the Giants’ 2010s dynasty and the modern metrics that place him among the greatest catchers of all time.

2031

Who Will Get In: Clayton Kershaw Notable First Ballot Candidates: Clayton Kershaw, David Robertson Final Year on Ballot: Alex Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins

Clayton Kershaw is currently the lone first-ballot–eligible candidate for the 2031 class. What a headliner!. He is one of just four left-handed pitchers in the 3,000-strikeout club and one of only 11 pitchers to win the Cy Young Award three times. Kershaw also owns the second-highest ERA+ among pitchers with at least 400 starts, trailing only Pedro Martínez. Like Albert Pujols, he has a legitimate chance to be elected unanimously.