This year yielded a bumper crop of five players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, three elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) and two by the Classic Baseball Era iteration of the veterans committee (VC). Don't expect that for next year.

Among the first-time eligibles, and for the first time in years, there are no clear Hall of Famers on the 2026 BBWAA ballot, performance-enhancing drug (PED) taint or not. Among the returnees, it is a mop-up operation as one, maybe two, may get the call to the Hall, one will fall off the ballot while a few may do so, a few will continue to build gradual support, and the rest will discover, or continue to realize, that they've been friendzoned by the voters: I like you but not in that way.

Before arriving in Canada in mid-2009, Edwin Encarnación was mostly seen as a mysterious, unpolished third baseman—a player with remarkable raw power but who often struggled with consistency at the plate and in the field. When the Toronto Blue Jays brought him over from Cincinnati at the trading deadline as part of the deal for Scott Rolen, it seemed like a small risk for a fresh start. With time, patience, and a few twists within the organization, that initial gamble paid off, transforming him into one of the most powerful and intimidating middle-of-the-order hitters in franchise history.

His initial years in Ontario were challenging. Following an inconsistent 2010 campaign, the front office subjected him to waivers, resulting in his claim by Oakland. However, when the Athletics non-tendered him a few weeks later, the Toronto Blue Jays seized the opportunity to re-sign him on a low-risk contract. This decision proved to be a strategic display of patience. While Encarnación continued to contend with defensive limitations in the corner positions, the Toronto staff implemented a permanent structural adjustment by predominantly deploying him as a designated hitter by mid-2011. Freed from defensive concerns, his right-handed batting performance experienced a complete transformation.

That positional shift paved the way for an exceptional breakthrough masterpiece in 2012. Dominating American League pitching throughout the summer, Encarnación established himself as an elite performer by hitting 42 home runs and driving in 110 runs. He combined this formidable power with a sophisticated approach, achieving career-highs across his entire .280/.384/557 slash line and ultimately finishing 11th in the AL MVP voting.

Encarnación, far from being merely a one-season wonder, established himself as the preeminent designated hitter of the mid-2010s. He was renowned for celebrating his home runs with his distinctive "Edwing" arm gesture as he rounded the bases. Throughout an impressive five-year peak, he consistently secured a position in the cleanup spot, surpassing the 30-home run mark each summer and recording a minimum of 98 runs batted in during all those seasons. His continued excellence was exemplified by a remarkable 2016 campaign, during which he led the major leagues with a career-high 127 RBIs. Although he narrowly missed receiving the Edgar Martinez Award amid an era populated with elite designated hitters, traditional voters regularly acknowledged his influence by awarding him MVP votes in four of those five peak seasons.

Most importantly, his heavy-handed run production served as the emotional and statistical engine that lifted the franchise out of its long postseason drought. He anchored back-to-back playoff teams in 2015 and 2016, famously cementing his place in Toronto lore by launching a legendary walk-off three-run home run in the 11th inning of the 2016 AL Wild Card Game against Baltimore, a swing that shook the foundations of Rogers Center.

Following that thrilling postseason run, Encarnación entered the open market as a free agent and eventually signed a lucrative multi-year contract with Cleveland ahead of the 2017 season. 

With the Blue Jays, Encarnacion compiled 977 hits, 239 home runs, and 679 RBIs while generating an outstanding .268/.355/.522 slash line (134 OPS+).

We love to add more sub-sections at Notinhalloffame.com, and if you have been looking at our recent posts, you can see that our current focus is on our Futures Section, which look at eventual candidates who have retired from their respective sport, but are not yet Hall of Fame eligible.  Today, we unveil the latest add-on, the 2026 Baseball Futures of the players who qualify for Cooperstown in 2026.

Here are the players in our 2026 Baseball Futures Section:

Alex Gordon:  Playing his entire career with the Royals, Gordon won three Gold Gloves, was a three-time All-Star and was a member of the 2015 World Series Championship Team.

Chris Davis:  Davis was a power hitter who won two American League Home Run Titles as a member of the Orioles.

Cole Hamels:  Hamels helped lead Philadelphia to a World Series win in 2008, and he was the NLCS and World Series MVP that year.  A four-year All-Star, Hamels had four top ten Cy Young finishes and 2,560 Strikeouts.

Daniel Murphy:  Murphy was the runner-up for the 2016 National League MVP in 2016, and was a three-time All-Star.  He also won two Silver Sluggers and twice led the NL in Doubles.

Edinson Volquez:  Volquez was a long time Starting Pitcher who went to one All-Star Game and won a World Series with Kansas City in 2015.

Edwin Encarnacion:  Finding his stride as a Designated Hitter with Toronto, Encarnacion earned three All-Star appearances, and had 429 Home Runs.

Gio Gonzalez:  Gonzalez went to two All-Star Games and had an overall record of 131-101 and 1,860 Strikeouts.

Howie Kendrick:  Kendrick played most of his career with the Angels where he was an All-Star in 2011, but he would later win an NLCS MVP and World Series Ring with Washington in 2019.

Hunter Pence:  Pence was a four-time All-Star who won two World Series Rings with the San Francisco Giants.

Jason Kipnis:  Kipnis is best known for his time with Cleveland where was a two-time All-Star and won one a Wilson Defensive Player Award.

Jeff Samardzija:  Samardzija was an All-Star Pitcher in 2014 and also led the NL in Strikeouts in 2017.

Kelvin Herrera:  Herrera went to two All-Star Games as a Relief Pitcher and would win a World Series with Kansas City in 2015.

Matt Kemp:  Kemp went to three All-Star Games, and won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.  He was the runner-up for the NL MVP in 2011 when he was a Dodger.

Matt Wieters:  Wieters was a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner as the Catcher for the Orioles.

Nick Markakis:  Splitting his career between Baltimore and Atlanta, Markakis won three Gloves, one Silver Slugger and went to one All-Star Game.

Rick Porcello:  The Starting Pitcher won the American League Cy Young Award in 2016 and the World Series two years later. 

Ryan Braun:  Braun played his entire career with Milwaukee where he won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2008 and the AL MVP in 2011.  He is also a five-time Silver Slugger, six-time All-Star and he twice led the league in OPS and Slugging Percentage.

Shin-Soo Choo:  Choo is one of the first everyday players from South Korea and was an All-Star in 2018.

You know what we want you to do!  Cast your votes, and offer your opinions on this group and all other entries on Notinhalloffame.com.

As always, we here at Notinhalloffame.com thank you for your support.

The Texas Rangers drafted Edwin Encarnacion in 2000, but a year later he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, where he would eventually make his Major League debut for in 2005.  With the Reds, the Dominican showed promise, but his hitting never reached its potential, and he was not good in the field.  A mid-season trade in 2009 to Toronto changed everything for Encarnacion, though that was not instant.

Toronto was not high on Encarnacion and was forced to take him in the trade.  A Free Agent in 2011, Encarnacion did not receive any offers, and Toronto took another chance on him, signing him, but now using Encarnacion mainly as a Designated Hitter.  The focus on hitting benefited Encarnacion, who would break out in 2012 with a 42-Home Run/110 RBI year.  Encarnacion had another good year in 2013 (36 HR and 104 RBI), proving he was no fluke.

Encarnacion went to his second All-Star Game in 2014, but the year after, where he was not an All-Star selection, he was part of the meat of a contending Blue Jays team.  The DH blasted 39 Home Runs and 111 RBIs and had his fourth straight .900 OPS year.  He stayed with Toronto one more year, where he went to his third All-Star, matched his highest Home Run total (42), and won his first RBI Title with 127.  

Encarnacion signed with Cleveland in 2017 and gave them three 30 HR/100 years, though the last one saw him traded during the year to Seattle.  He wound down his career with the Mariners and White Sox for one year in 2020.

Encarnacion has 424 Home Runs and 1,261 RBIs, which for a power hitter is very good and better than many slugging Hall of Famers, but he was not a multi-faceted player, and this will keep him out of Cooperstown.