Earlier this week, the results for the baseball Hall of Fame were announced, with 3 new legends joining baseball immortality in outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, closer Billy Wagner, and lefty starter CC Sabathia. With the conclusion of the 2025 voting and results, we now can turn and take a peek at the 2026 class, where a trio of former Nationals will be on the ballot for the first time.
In taking a look at some of the notable first-time candidates for the Hall of Fame in 2026, and it is fair to wonder if there is even a single player that is worthy of being selected for the most prestigious honor in baseball. A guy like Cole Hamels might be one of the only players who has a legitimate chance to survive past the first ballot upon first glance, but do any of the former Nationals on the list have a chance? Let's take a look.
Howie Kendrick
A guy who needs no introduction, and the owner of arguably the two most iconic home runs in franchise history, Howie Kendrick finds himself up for the Hall of Fame for the first time. In a 15-year career that saw him account for 35.0 bWAR while playing for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and of course the Washington Nationals, Kendrick's odds for Cooperstown don't seem to be particularly favorable.
He was a very underrated player throughout the majority of his career, making just 1 All-Star appearance, but his NLCS MVP and World Series title will probably get him at least a couple of votes. He accumulated 1,747 hits with a .294/.337/.430 slash line with 127 homers, 724 RBIs, and a .767 OPS, but will face an uphill battle to stay on the ballot for more than 1 year.
Prediction: Survives past 1 ballot
Gio González
The next guy is a lefty who was a 2-time All-Star that was another very underrated starter across 13 seasons in the big leagues. If Gio González was to be selected for the Hall of Fame, he would likely go in as a National, as he spent 7 seasons in the Nation's Capital.
His peak was in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, where he made back-to-back All-Star teams with the Oakland Athletics and of course the Nationals, and that 2012 first season in DC would see him lead the sport in wins with 21 to go with a 2.89 ERA, resulting in a 3rd place finish in NL Cy Young voting. His last full season with the Nats in 2017 was his highest season by bWAR, and he finished 6th in Cy Young voting that year. Overall, Gio's counting numbers just aren't quite good enough to warrant consideration beyond his first year, but he will always be a legend in DC.
Prediction: 1-and-done on the ballot
Daniel Murphy
The final former National who will be warranting consideration for the Hall of Fame in 2026 is Daniel Murphy. While he is more likely to be remembered for his days with the New York Mets and the legendary postseason run he went on in 2015 when he clubbed 7 homers en route to a World Series appearance, his numbers and years with the Nationals were the peak of his career.
Murphy was a 3-time All-Star in his 12-year MLB career, and brought home 2 Silver Slugger Awards with a pair of Top-20 finishes in NL MVP voting, most notably a runner-up finish in 2016. Murphy's 2016 season with the Nationals was incredible, with a .347/.390/.595 line with a .985 OPS to go along with 25 homers and 104 RBIs, all of which were career highs, and he finished just 1 point behind DJ Lemahieu for the batting title, as he finished with a .348 average.
Although Murphy was great for those few years, he is likely a Hall of Very Good-type player, as his overall numbers likely won't move the needle enough to warrant getting him into the Hall of Fame. In case you were curious, here is a comparison between Kendrick and Murphy, and how their careers stack up.
Verdict: Maybe survives the 1st ballot, won't survive the 2nd
Do you think any of these former Nationals have a case for Cooperstown? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.