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Buster Posey and Jon Lester headline Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2027 candidates originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán got their call to Cooperstown, but who will be joining them next year?

The three players were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday as part of the Class of 2026. Now, baseball fans can start looking ahead to the 2027 ballot.

Next year’s ballot does not have nearly as much star power as the 2026 class. Still, a handful of players could be on their way to Cooperstown next summer.

Here’s a look at the top names to watch in the 2027 Baseball Hall of Fame voting process.

First-ballot potential

• Buster Posey
• Jon Lester

Only a pair of players have even a remote chance at becoming first-ballot Hall of Famers next summer.

Buster Posey, now the president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, became a franchise legend behind the plate from 2009 to 2021. The star catcher earned three World Series titles, seven All-Star selections, 2012 NL MVP honors, 2010 NL Rookie of the Year honors, five Silver Slugger awards and a Gold Glove.

Jon Lester is another three-time World Series winner atop the 2027 Hall of Fame ballot. The southpaw won 200 regular season games and posted a 3.66 career ERA during his 16-year career, which he primarily spent with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. He won a pair of championships in Boston and helped the Cubs end a 108-year World Series drought in 2016.

Returning candidates

• Chase Utley
• Andy Pettitte
• Félix Hernández

Chase Utley is the only returning player who received at least 50% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in 2026. The former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop jumped up nearly 20% from his second year of eligibility in 2025 (39.8%) to his third in 2026 (59.1%). A similar jump would get him past the required 75% to get into the Hall of Fame.

Andy Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees, received 48.5% of the vote in 2026 and only has two more years of eligibility remaining.

Félix Hernández is another notable name to watch following a major second-year leap. The Seattle Mariners legend went from 20.6% of the vote on his first ballot in 2025 to 46.1% of the vote in 2026.

Returning longshots

• Alex Rodriguez
• Bobby Abreu
• Jimmy Rollins
• Cole Hamels
• Dustin Pedroia
• Mark Buehrle
• Omar Vizquel
• David Wright
• Francisco Rodríguez
• Torii Hunter

Alex Rodriguez, who was prominently linked to MLB’s steroid era, is entering his sixth year of eligibility after landing 40.0% of the vote in 2026.

Bobby Abreu (30.8%) is the only other returning player to receive more than 30% of the BBWAA vote in 2026. All other players listed above exceeded the 5% minimum vote in 2026 to stay on the ballot for 2027.

First-year longshots

• Brett Gardner
• Ryan Zimmerman
• Kyle Seager
• Ervin Santana
• Asdrúbal Cabrera
• Todd Frazier
• Josh Reddick
• Jake Arrieta
• Scott Kazmir
• Jordan Zimmermann

Brett Gardner, Ryan Zimmerman and Jake Arrieta are among the World Series winners who will make their first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot next year.

Buster Posey and Jon Lester headline Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2027 candidates originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán got their call to Cooperstown, but who will be joining them next year?

The three players were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday as part of the Class of 2026. Now, baseball fans can start looking ahead to the 2027 ballot.

Next year’s ballot does not have nearly as much star power as the 2026 class. Still, a handful of players could be on their way to Cooperstown next summer.

Here’s a look at the top names to watch in the 2027 Baseball Hall of Fame voting process.

First-ballot potential

• Buster Posey
• Jon Lester

Only a pair of players have even a remote chance at becoming first-ballot Hall of Famers next summer.

Buster Posey, now the president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, became a franchise legend behind the plate from 2009 to 2021. The star catcher earned three World Series titles, seven All-Star selections, 2012 NL MVP honors, 2010 NL Rookie of the Year honors, five Silver Slugger awards and a Gold Glove.

Jon Lester is another three-time World Series winner atop the 2027 Hall of Fame ballot. The southpaw won 200 regular season games and posted a 3.66 career ERA during his 16-year career, which he primarily spent with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. He won a pair of championships in Boston and helped the Cubs end a 108-year World Series drought in 2016.

Returning candidates

• Chase Utley
• Andy Pettitte
• Félix Hernández

Chase Utley is the only returning player who received at least 50% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in 2026. The former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop jumped up nearly 20% from his second year of eligibility in 2025 (39.8%) to his third in 2026 (59.1%). A similar jump would get him past the required 75% to get into the Hall of Fame.

Andy Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees, received 48.5% of the vote in 2026 and only has two more years of eligibility remaining.

Félix Hernández is another notable name to watch following a major second-year leap. The Seattle Mariners legend went from 20.6% of the vote on his first ballot in 2025 to 46.1% of the vote in 2026.

Returning longshots

• Alex Rodriguez
• Bobby Abreu
• Jimmy Rollins
• Cole Hamels
• Dustin Pedroia
• Mark Buehrle
• Omar Vizquel
• David Wright
• Francisco Rodríguez
• Torii Hunter

Alex Rodriguez, who was prominently linked to MLB’s steroid era, is entering his sixth year of eligibility after landing 40.0% of the vote in 2026.

Bobby Abreu (30.8%) is the only other returning player to receive more than 30% of the BBWAA vote in 2026. All other players listed above exceeded the 5% minimum vote in 2026 to stay on the ballot for 2027.

First-year longshots

• Brett Gardner
• Ryan Zimmerman
• Kyle Seager
• Ervin Santana
• Asdrúbal Cabrera
• Todd Frazier
• Josh Reddick
• Jake Arrieta
• Scott Kazmir
• Jordan Zimmermann

Brett Gardner, Ryan Zimmerman and Jake Arrieta are among the World Series winners who will make their first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot next year.

Buster Posey and Jon Lester headline Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2027 candidates originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán got their call to Cooperstown, but who will be joining them next year?

The three players were enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday as part of the Class of 2026. Now, baseball fans can start looking ahead to the 2027 ballot.

Next year’s ballot does not have nearly as much star power as the 2026 class. Still, a handful of players could be on their way to Cooperstown next summer.

Here’s a look at the top names to watch in the 2027 Baseball Hall of Fame voting process.

First-ballot potential

• Buster Posey
• Jon Lester

Only a pair of players have even a remote chance at becoming first-ballot Hall of Famers next summer.

Buster Posey, now the president of baseball operations for the San Francisco Giants, became a franchise legend behind the plate from 2009 to 2021. The star catcher earned three World Series titles, seven All-Star selections, 2012 NL MVP honors, 2010 NL Rookie of the Year honors, five Silver Slugger awards and a Gold Glove.

Jon Lester is another three-time World Series winner atop the 2027 Hall of Fame ballot. The southpaw won 200 regular season games and posted a 3.66 career ERA during his 16-year career, which he primarily spent with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. He won a pair of championships in Boston and helped the Cubs end a 108-year World Series drought in 2016.

Returning candidates

• Chase Utley
• Andy Pettitte
• Félix Hernández

Chase Utley is the only returning player who received at least 50% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in 2026. The former Philadelphia Phillies shortstop jumped up nearly 20% from his second year of eligibility in 2025 (39.8%) to his third in 2026 (59.1%). A similar jump would get him past the required 75% to get into the Hall of Fame.

Andy Pettitte, a five-time World Series champion with the New York Yankees, received 48.5% of the vote in 2026 and only has two more years of eligibility remaining.

Félix Hernández is another notable name to watch following a major second-year leap. The Seattle Mariners legend went from 20.6% of the vote on his first ballot in 2025 to 46.1% of the vote in 2026.

Returning longshots

• Alex Rodriguez
• Bobby Abreu
• Jimmy Rollins
• Cole Hamels
• Dustin Pedroia
• Mark Buehrle
• Omar Vizquel
• David Wright
• Francisco Rodríguez
• Torii Hunter

Alex Rodriguez, who was prominently linked to MLB’s steroid era, is entering his sixth year of eligibility after landing 40.0% of the vote in 2026.

Bobby Abreu (30.8%) is the only other returning player to receive more than 30% of the BBWAA vote in 2026. All other players listed above exceeded the 5% minimum vote in 2026 to stay on the ballot for 2027.

First-year longshots

• Brett Gardner
• Ryan Zimmerman
• Kyle Seager
• Ervin Santana
• Asdrúbal Cabrera
• Todd Frazier
• Josh Reddick
• Jake Arrieta
• Scott Kazmir
• Jordan Zimmermann

Brett Gardner, Ryan Zimmerman and Jake Arrieta are among the World Series winners who will make their first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot next year.

Carlos Beltrán is excelling in his post-playing career, too.

Asked Sunday about the Hall of Famer’s impact on the organization in his role as a special assistant, interim manager Andy Green pointed to Beltrán’s willingness to take on the least glamorous of assignments.

Beltrán was inducted into Cooperstown on Sunday, displaying a Mets cap on his plaque.

“I think the things you have to appreciate about elite performers are the things they do when the spotlight is not on them,” Green said before the Mets beat the Dodgers 8-3 at Citi Field. “It’s when he shows up in Daytona with our A-ball team and shares wisdom with our young hitters.”

The former outfielder began as a Mets special assistant in 2023 — his return to the game after he stepped aside as the team’s manager (after only 77 days at the helm without managing a game) in the fallout over the Astros’ illegal sign-stealing scheme.

Beltrán is sometimes with the major league team as a sounding board for players, but hasn’t shied away from an equally important part of his job, according to Green.

“It’s because he wants to invest in the next generation of Mets,” Green said. “It’s one thing when you show up in the big league clubhouse and live the big league life. It’s another when you are willing to go down and talk to our minor league players and invest in them. That is where the respect really grows.”

Green indicated a next step hasn’t been decided upon for Clay Holmes, who threw a side session before the game.

Holmes pitched 2 ¹/₃ innings for Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday in his first minor league rehab start following a fractured right fibula.

Francisco Lindor delivered an RBI single in the first inning.

Over his past 10 games, Lindor owns a .282/.364/.513 slash line with two homers and seven RBIs.

The Mets snapped a six-game losing streak against the Dodgers that dated to June 5 of last year.

PHILADELPHIA — The Yankees brought Amed Rosario back to be a lefty killer, and through the first two months of the season, he was.

In the past two months, though, it’s the lefties that have done the killing against the Yankees utility player.

Still — in part because the Yankees are beat up and are now without three of their better hitters against lefties in Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton — Rosario hit third again Sunday night against Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sánchez in an 11-4 loss in the series finale at Citizens Bank Park.

“If you watch the at-bats, especially against lefties, I know the numbers haven’t been there, but he’s having the right at-bats, he’s just going through it a little bit,” manager Aaron Boone said.

In 50 plate appearances against lefties through May 26, Rosario was hitting .273 with an .888 OPS.

But in 56 plate appearances against lefties since then, entering Sunday, he was batting just .135 with a .408 OPS.

That included being in a 1-for-17 slump entering Sunday’s game.

Rosario was 1-for-4 in the loss with a pair of strikeouts before being lifted for pinch hitter Ryan McMahon in the ninth.

Rosario has continued to be a staple in the top third of Yankees lineups against most lefties despite the lack of results, though they are not overflowing with options to replace him.

The 30-year-old did still have an average exit velocity of 90.3 mph and an 11.1 percent barrel rate, both of which ranked in the top half of the league and gave the Yankees some hope that he was capable of getting back on track.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

“He’s on stuff and is presenting like a guy that’s going to impact against lefties,” Boone said. “He’s just, on a smaller level, hasn’t gotten results. But doesn’t change my confidence that he will moving forward.”

Judge and Stanton are expected to travel to Chicago with the Yankees this week for their series against the White Sox and Cubs.

“We’ll have some of our trainer guys that go on the road, we’ll be able to do that,” Boone said.

Cross Shea Langeliers off the list of potential catchers the Yankees could acquire at the trade deadline.

The Athletics placed the backstop on the injured list Sunday with a torn meniscus, which could cost him the rest of the season.

Langeliers, under contract through 2028, was going to be tough to land, but now his injury has essentially ruled out any trade involving him.

Clarke Schmidt (Tommy John surgery) faced hitters for the second time Sunday at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, continuing his ramp-up toward a rehab assignment. … Max Fried will start Monday’s series opener against the White Sox, giving Gerrit Cole an extra day of rest before starting Tuesday after both had thrown in Wednesday’s doubleheader.

PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Judge was back in the visiting dugout at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday night and had a front-row seat to an 11-4 loss to the Phillies.

If the Yankees end up getting Judge back and make a run in the postseason, Sunday night’s lineup might be amusing to some.

If they don’t, it could be looked at as a low point for a team that sure seems in need of some reinforcements before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, which is a week from Monday.

By then, we’ll have a better idea of what the Yankees will look like down the stretch, but until Judge and — maybe — Giancarlo Stanton get back from the IL, it’s hard to expect anything from this lineup.

That’s even more true now that Cody Bellinger has joined Judge and Stanton on the IL with left hamstring tightness.

“That’s above my pay grade,” Judge said when asked what he thought of where the team’s needs were as the deadline approaches. “We’ve got a good team where we’re at. That’s our job as players, to give the front office the ability to get the final pieces. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens.”

At this point, though, the current version of the Yankees can be a tough watch.

Look at the middle of Sunday night’s depleted lineup:

Amed Rosario, a key part of the Yankees’ strong second half last season, entered Sunday in a 1-for-18 rut with 11 strikeouts in that span.

And yet, he was forced to hit third against Philadelphia lefty Cristopher Sánchez.

Then there was Jasson Domínguez, now further entrenched as the regular right fielder with both Judge and Bellinger sidelined.

Domínguez hit cleanup and was followed by Anthony Volpe.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

Volpe delivered a pair of doubles, but they were his first extra-base hits in a month and he made an ugly throwing error to open the bottom of the sixth that set up Philadelphia’s five-run inning that iced the game.

George Lombard Jr. seems closer to the majors every day.

He’s 12-for-26 with four extra-base hits in eight games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since returning from an IL stint due to sprained fingers, although he made a throwing error Sunday.

And Max Schuemann, out of place in left field, dove for a ball far out of his reach on Alec Bohm’s three-run double in the third.

José Caballero went hitless again in the ugly loss.

Asked before the game if he believed the Yankees needed another bat by the deadline, Aaron Boone said, “We’ll see. I know we want to try to improve our club. I know the front office is grinding away at that. I know we’re gonna try … You never know what’s gonna be out there.”

As The Post has reported, they are in the market for a righty-hitting outfielder and catcher, as well as help in the bullpen.

Despite their issues, the Yankees head to Chicago to play the White Sox for four games and then the Cubs for three, firmly in postseason contention.

But it won’t be easy without Judge and Co.

“Keep moving forward,’’ Judge said of the team’s mentality. “We’ve got a lot of depth with guys in the minor leagues that are ready to go.”

He also noted, “There’s no replacing Bellinger.”

Or Judge, as the Yankees continue to be reminded.

COOPERSTOWN — Maybe the Yankees, who still can tell you what he did in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series, and the Mets can blame one of their own for Andruw Jones.

One of the first names Jones mentioned during his Hall of Fame induction was Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens, a Yankees utility player from 1989-93 and assistant hitting coach in 2022, plus a Mets bench coach in 2020.

Jones, the first Hall of Famer from Curaçao, wanted to thank Meulens, who was the first native of Curaçao to play in Major League Baseball.

“ ‘Bam Bam’ opened the door for many others to chase their dream of being a professional,” Jones said during a speech finally given after nine years on the ballot. “When I made it in Atlanta, I knew I could inspire a lot of people from Curaçao to reach the major leagues.”

He has watched the likes of Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar, Jonathan Schoop, Andrelton Simmons, Kenley Jansen and plenty more reach MLB from a Dutch Caribbean island more than 2,000 miles away from here, where Jones put the finishing touches on a 17-year career Sunday.

The longtime Braves star center fielder was introduced by John Smoltz and spoke while Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Chipper Jones sat behind him, fixtures on Braves teams that owned the NL East and lost to the Yankees in the 1996 and 1999 World Series.

Jones thanked “Larry Wayne” Jones, his “brother from another mother,” for pushing for his induction.

“The Jones boys are in Cooperstown now,” Andruw Jones said.

Hanging over Jones’ moment was that his longtime manager was not present.

Bobby Cox, himself a Hall of Famer, died in May at 84.

“Nobody in the Braves organization had a bigger impact on me than manager Bobby Cox,” said Jones, who homered in his first two World Series at-bats (against Andy Pettitte and Brian Boehringer), becoming the youngest to ever homer in the Fall Classic. “He put a 19-year-old in the World Series in the lineup and believed in me.

“Bobby had confidence in me and helped me become the best player I could be. He commanded respect, created a winning culture. You play hard. You play to win, and you always give an honest effort. Simple rules to play the game.”

Jones, one of the greatest center fielders ever and a powerful bat, played with Atlanta from 1996-2007 and then bounced around.

In his speech, he thanked both Joe Torre (who managed him with the Dodgers) and Joe Girardi (his manager with the Yankees in 2011-12).