Baseball Hall of Fame unveils Contemporary Era ballot, including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly

The National Baseball Hall of Fame on Monday released the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot for 2026 induction, and among the eight names are firebrand candidates Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. 

In addition to Bonds and Clemens, this year's Era Committee ballot also includes Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and the late Fernando Valenzuela. 

The Contemporary Era for these purposes covers players whose primary contribution to the game came since 1980. Here's a quick rundown of each of the eight candidates named above: 

Barry Bonds: One of the greatest players in baseball history, Bonds is the all-time leader in home runs (762), and his career WAR of 162.8 ranks fourth all-time. Bonds is a seven-time MVP who failed to be elected via the BBWAA ballot -- the more conventional path for election -- only because of allegations of performance-enhancing drug use. 

Roger Clemens: Clemens won 354 games in his career and has seven Cy Young awards and an MVP to his credit. He also racked up 4,672 strikeouts and a WAR of 138.7. Like Bonds, Clemens is an inner-circle all-time great whose associations with PED use prevented him from earning election on the writers' ballot. 

Carlos Delgado: One of the greatest players ever to come out of Puerto Rico, Delgado in his career hit 473 home runs, earned a pair of All-Star selections, and authored a career WAR of 44.4. 

Jeff Kent: The five-time All-Star Kent has to his credit 2,461 hits; 377 home runs; and a career WAR of 55.4. He also put up a career OPS+ of 123 while logging more than 17,000 defensive innings at the premium position of second base. 

Don Mattingly: He was a skilled craftsman at the plate whose career was undone by injuries. Mattingly was a nine-time Gold Glove winner and an MVP who amassed 2,153 hits in his career and a WAR of 42.4. Mattingly also managed for 12 seasons and during that span guided the Dodgers to three division titles and the Marlins to a postseason berth in the COVID-abbreviated 2020 season. 

Dale Murphy: A two-time MVP and one of the most beloved players of his era, Murphy was also a seven-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glover winner in center field. He retired from playing with a career WAR of 46.5. 

Gary Sheffield: Perhaps this ballot's strongest candidate after Bonds and Clemens, Sheffield boasts a career OPS+ of 140; 509 home runs; 2,689 hits; 1,475 walks; and a WAR of 60.5 across parts of 22 MLB seasons. Sheffield also earned nine All-Star selections in his career and won five Silver Slugger awards. Sheffield has previously admitted to using PEDs during his playing career. 

Fernando Valenzuela: One of the most beloved figures in Dodgers history and the greatest player ever to come out of Mexico, Valenzuela has to his credit a Cy Young award, a career WAR of 37.3, and the phenomenon of "Fernandomania" in the early 1980s. After his retirement, Valenzuela was a popular Spanish-language color commentator on Dodgers television broadcasts. Valenzuela died in October 2024, mere days shy of his 64th birthday. 

The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorates who will vote on the eight names above will be announced later this fall. A candidate must be named on 75% of ballots, or 12 ballots in this instance, to earn election. The results of the Committee vote will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 7, at the outset of baseball's Winter Meetings. Players elected will be inducted into Cooperstown next summer.