NEW YORK — The Baseball Hall of Fame will announce its 2026 class Tuesday night. Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones appear headed for enshrinement. But another former New York Yankees star is making serious noise in the voting.
Andy Pettitte has surged in the Hall of Fame ballot tracker. The five-time World Series champion sits at 57.4% of the public vote. That number represents a massive jump from where he stood just one year ago.
The results will be revealed on MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET. While Pettitte remains short of the 75% needed for induction, his trajectory has changed the conversation around his candidacy completely.
The numbers tell the story
This is Pettitte’s eighth year on the BBWAA ballot. His support has climbed steadily in recent cycles. He appeared on just 14.4% of ballots in 2024. That jumped to 27.9% last year. Now he sits near 58% with hundreds of ballots still to be counted.
According to Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame tracker, Pettitte has gained 33 votes from returning BBWAA members who did not check his name last year. Only Felix Hernandez has received more new support from returning voters this cycle.
The momentum mirrors what Larry Walker experienced late in his candidacy. Walker sat at 34.1% after his eighth year on the ballot. He was elected in his 10th and final year of eligibility in 2020.
The CC Sabathia comparison
Much of Pettitte’s recent surge traces back to one name: CC Sabathia. His former Yankees teammate sailed into Cooperstown on the first ballot last year. Voters began examining the two left-handers side by side. What they found surprised many.
Over 18 seasons, Pettitte went 256-153 with a 3.85 ERA and 2,448 strikeouts in 3,316 innings. He won five World Series rings with the Yankees.
Sabathia compiled a 251-161 record with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts across 3,577.1 innings over 19 seasons. The numbers are closer than many realized.
Pettitte actually has more career wins in 39 fewer starts. Sabathia’s edge comes from his 2007 AL Cy Young Award and reaching 3,000 strikeouts. But the run prevention and WAR numbers put them in the same neighborhood.
October excellence defines his legacy
Nobody has won more postseason games in MLB history. That distinction belongs to Pettitte. His 19 October victories may never be topped. Justin Verlander sits second with 17.
Pettitte holds the all-time postseason records in starts (44), innings pitched (276.2), and quality starts (28). He started 12 potential series-clinching games, more than any pitcher ever. He won six of them.
The Yankees kept handing Pettitte the ball in the biggest moments for nearly two decades. He rewarded them with five championships and three additional pennants.
What Pettitte has said
The Louisiana native addressed his candidacy last summer at Old-Timers’ Day in the Bronx. His words reflected the humility that defined his playing career.
“[Being inducted] would be a wonderful blessing and honor,” Pettitte said. “I mean, really, what can you say? What an unbelievable honor. I really don’t know what else to say about it. It would be amazing, and I would feel very blessed and fortunate. Would never, ever dream [of it].”
The HGH question
Pettitte admitted to using human growth hormone in 2002 and 2004. He said he used the substance to recover from injuries. This admission has complicated his Hall of Fame case for years.
However, many voters view his situation differently from Alex Rodriguez or Manny Ramirez. HGH was not banned by MLB at the time Pettitte used it. The league did not test for the substance. Rodriguez and Ramirez both served suspensions after MLB introduced league-wide drug testing.
Rodriguez currently sits at 42.4% in the tracker. Ramirez tracks at 39.6% in his 10th and final year of eligibility. Neither will reach the 75% threshold this cycle.
The path to 75%
Pettitte has two years of BBWAA eligibility remaining after this cycle. The math makes election within that window challenging but not impossible.
His 14.4 percentage point jump from 2024 to 2025 marked the largest increase among any returning ballot candidate. If he maintains similar momentum, he could approach 75% by his final year in 2028.
Private ballots typically run more conservative than public ones. Pettitte will likely lose some ground when the final tally is revealed Tuesday night. Most projections expect him to finish somewhere in the low 40s.
The rest of the 2026 class
Carlos Beltran appears locked in for induction. The former Yankees and Mets outfielder sits at 89.2% in the tracker. He batted .279 with 435 home runs and 312 stolen bases over 20 seasons. Beltran joins just four other players with at least 500 doubles, 400 homers and 300 steals.
Andruw Jones tracks at 83% in his ninth year of eligibility. The 10-time Gold Glove winner with 434 career homers should know his fate Tuesday evening. Jones and Beltran both played briefly for the Yankees.
Jeff Kent has already secured his spot in the 2026 class. The second baseman was elected last month by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.
A franchise icon waits
Pettitte never had a losing season in his 18-year career. Only eight other pitchers in American League history can make that claim with 250 or more wins.
He ranks first in strikeouts among Yankees pitchers with 2,020. He sits third in franchise wins with 219. He shares first place in games started with Whitey Ford at 438.
The Core Four member helped define Yankees baseball for nearly two decades. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera already have plaques in Cooperstown. Jorge Posada fell short on the ballot.
Pettitte stands at the crossroads. His surge this cycle offers hope that Cooperstown might finally call the winningest postseason pitcher in MLB history.
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