13 of 27. Just past the midway point. Let’s keep rolling with a look at the candidates on the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot. I’ll try to sum everything up when I’m done with the players I’d vote for if I had a vote.

There are just two pitchers left on the ballot I haven’t talked about, so let’s look at them next.

The Anaheim Angels signed right-hander Francisco Rodríguez as a 16-year-old international amateur free agent out of Venezuela in September 1998. The Angels used Rodríguez as a starter until elbow and shoulder issues came up during the 2001 season. The organization pushed him into a relief role the next season, and everything changed quickly.

Rodríguez completely dominated Double-A and Triple-A until the Angels called him up in September 2022 following multiple injuries in the bullpen. Rodríguez impressed in five late-season outings (13 strikeouts, 2 walks in 5.2 shutout innings) before emerging as an exposive bullpen option in the postseason (28 Ks, 5 walks, 5 ER, 18.2 IP) as the Angels won the World Series.

His dominance out of the Angels’ bullpen continued the next two seasons, particularly in 2004. In many ways, it would be the best season of his career. He’d make 69 appearances, posting a 1.82 ERA (245 ERA+) with 123 strikeouts (13.2 K/9, 36.7 K%) and 12 saves over 84.0 IP, making his first All-Star Game and finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting.

“K-Rod”, as he’d become affectionately known throughout the game by this point, assumed the Angels’ closer role the next season after Troy Percival departed the team. He led the American League in saves in three of the next four seasons, including recording a MLB record 62 saves in 2008. He had a 2.35 ERA (190 ERA+) with 356 strikeouts in 276.0 IP over the four years. The stretch included two more All-Star appearances, a pair of top-five Cy Young finishes, and even some MVP consideration in 2008.

Following his record-breaking season, Rodríguez left the Angels to sign a three-year, $37 million deal to join the New York Mets. His tenure in New York proved to be a mixed bag. The results on the mound were mostly solid: a 3.05 ERA (129 ERA+) and 83 saves, but he walked 75 (4.0 BB/9, 10.1 BB%, both career highs). Rodríguez ran into several off-field issues, however, getting into fights with both a teammate (reliever Brian Bruney) and his girlfriend’s father. The latter incident, in August 2010, led the team to suspend him for the remainder of the season.

The Mets decided it was time to move on the next July, trading Rodríguez to the Milwaukee Brewers for right-hander Adrian Rosario and left-hander Danny Herrera. Aside from a few months following a July 2013 trade to Baltimore (for outfielder Nicky Delmonico; he’d re-sign with Milwaukee in free agency after the season), Rodríguez spent parts of five seasons with the Brewers, working to a 2.91 ERA (136 ERA+) with 95 saves and a pair of All-Star appearances.

He’d finish out his final two seasons with the Detroit Tigers following a November 2015 trade for infielder Javier Betancourt and catcher Manny Piña. He’d add 51 more saves to his career tally with the Tigers.

Rodríguez signed with Philadelphia the next spring, but after not making the team, he requested his release and spent the season pitching for the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League before retiring. K-Rod spent 16 years in the big leagues, posting a 2.86 ERA (148 ERA+) with 1,142 strikeouts over 976.0 IP, appearing in six All-Star Games and winning two Reliever of the Year Awards. His 437 saves rank sixth all-time. He totaled 24.2 WAR during his career.

The Seattle Mariners signed right-hander Félix Hernández as a 16-year-old international amateur free agent out of Venezuela in July 2002. Hernández received a $710,000 signing bonus. Other clubs reportedly offered him larger bonuses, but Hernández chose the Mariners because he idolized right-hander Freddy García, who was a key piece of the team’s starting rotation at the time.

Hernández wasted no time making a name for himself in the minor leagues, making an appearance in the All-Star Futures Game and working his way up to No. 2 on pre-season prospect rankings heading into 2005. He’d start the year with a 2.25 ERA over 88.0 IP at Triple-A. He would make his debut in Seattle that August at 19 years old, making 12 starts with a 2.67 ERA (158 ERA+) in 84.1 IP.

Hernández and the Mariners had a brief disagreement that offseason; he wanted to play for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, but the team wouldn’t allow it, citing the stress on his arm after his first season in the majors. García was also traded to the White Sox that offseason (Hernández would take his No. 34 uniform after the trade).

That next season would start a streak of 10 consecutive seasons with 30+ starts and at least 190 IP. Within those ten seasons, Hernández enjoyed a seven-year stretch where he was among the best pitchers in the sport. From 2009-2015, Hernández won 104 games with a 2.83 ERA (136 ERA+) and 1,549 strikeouts over 1596.0 IP, totaling 38.0 WAR. He made six All-Star appearances and finished in the Top 10 in Cy Young voting six times (five of them he also received MVP votes), including winning the award in 2010. Hernández pitched a perfect game on August 15, 2012, striking out 12 in a 1-0 Mariners win over the White Sox in Seattle.

The 2016 season saw Hernández reach several Mariners club milestones, passing Randy Johnson for the most strikeouts and then Jamie Moyer for the most wins. Shoulder inflammation limited him to 16 starts in 2017 and 15 in 2019. The longtime Mariner would leave the club following the 2019 season, but never suited up elsewhere. He signed with Atlanta for the 2020 season, but opted not to play due to the COVID pandemic, and then signed a minor league deal with Baltimore in 2021, but suffered an elbow injury during spring training.

Altogether, Hernández spent 15 seasons in Seattle, going 169-136 with a 3.42 ERA (117 ERA+) and 2,524 strikeouts over 2729.2 IP. He was a six-time All-Star, won a pair of ERA titles, and the AL Cy Young Award. He totaled 49.9 WAR.