There are 27 players on the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot, each of whom I set out to take a deeper look at. The two pitchers appearing on the ballot for the first time have already been covered, so let’s shift gears and continue with the new outfielders in consideration.

Six of the dozen players appearing on the ballot for the first time are outfielders. I’m going to dig into five of them today.

The Houston Astros used their 2nd round pick in the 2004 Draft to select Hunter Pence out of the University of Texas at Arlington. Pence had been a 40th-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers out of high school two years earlier, but he opted to play collegiately rather than sign with Milwaukee. Three years later, he made a strong case to win a spot on the Opening Day roster in spring training, then followed up with a hot start at Triple-A before making his MLB debut in April 2007. Pence slashed .322/.360/.539 (129 OPS+) in 484 PA with 30 doubles, 9 triples, 17 HR, 69 RBI, and 11 stolen bases that first season, finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting (behind Ryan Braun and Troy Tulowitzki).

Pence spent the first five and a half years of his career with the Astros, hitting .290/.339/.479 (117 OPS+) with 145 doubles, 103 HR, 61 steals, and a pair of All-Star appearances. Houston traded him at the 2011 deadline to the Philadelphia Phillies for a quartet of players: right-handers Jarred Cosart and Josh Zeid, first baseman Jon Singleton, and outfielder Domingo Santana.

It didn’t take long for Pence to become a fan favorite in Philadelphia. His tenure there would only last a year, however. Philly traded Pence at the 2012 deadline to the San Francisco Giants for a trio of players (right-hander Seth Rosin, first baseman Tommy Joseph, and outfielder Nate Schierholtz) and still followed through with a planned bobblehead giveaway just a few weeks later. Pence hit .289/.357/.486 (126 OPS+) in 676 PA with 27 doubles, 28 HR, and 94 RBI during his year with the team.

Pence didn’t hit much in his first season in San Francisco, but teammates credited his clubhouse presence and pregame speeches during the postseason as being keys to the team winning the World Series.

2013 proved to be among the best seasons of Pence’s career. He appeared in all 162 games (he’d repeat the feat in 2014), while hitting .283/.339/.483 (133 OPS+) in 687 PA with 35 doubles, 99 RBI, and career highs in home runs (27) and steals (22). The Giants signed him to a six-year, $90 million extension in late September to keep him from reaching free agency.

Over eight seasons in San Francisco, Pence slashed .265/.322/.429 (107 OPS+) with 135 doubles, 26 triples, 95 HR, 412 RBI, and 48 SB with another All-Star appearance and a pair of World Series titles (2012 and 2014).

After leaving the Giants following a disappointing (and injury-marred) final season, Pence signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers for 2019 and won a spot on the Opening Day roster. He wouldn’t play every day with the Rangers, but he’d hit .297/.358/.552 (126 OPS+) in 316 PA, adding one final All-Star appearance and winning the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Overall, Pence spent 14 seasons in the big leagues with a final slash line of .279/.334/.461 (114 OPS+) with 324 doubles, 244 HR, 942 RBI, and 120 stolen bases. He played in three All-Star Games and won a pair of WS titles. Per Baseball Reference, he totaled 30.9 WAR during his career.

The Kansas City Royals used the 2nd overall pick in the 2005 Draft to select Alex Gordon out of the University of Nebraska. After a standout collegiate career that included multiple major awards during his final season (including winning the Golden Spikes Award, given to the nation’s top player), the Royals were aggressive and sent him to Double-A to begin his pro career. Two years after being drafted, Gordon made his MLB debut in early April 2007.

Primarily a third baseman during the early part of his career, Gordon failed to develop defensively and continued to show concerns at the hot corner (he led all AL third basemen in errors and had the lowest fielding percentage in 2008). Torn cartilage in his hip in 2009 and a broken thumb during spring training in 2010 helped facilitate a move to left field upon his return.

The switch proved wise. Gordon developed into a standout defensive left fielder, collecting eight Gold Glove Awards (and two Platinum Gloves) over the remainder of his career (including winning in each of his final four seasons).

Gordon spent his entire 14-year career with Kansas City, batting .257/.338/.410 (102 OPS+) with 357 doubles, 190 HR, and 749 RBI. He played in three All-Star Games and helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series. Gordon totaled 34.8 WAR in his career.

The Los Angeles Dodgers used their 6th-round pick in the 2003 Draft to select Matt Kemp out of high school (Midwest City, OK). Just less than three years later, Kemp made his MLB debut with the Dodgers, but he’d play sparingly and struggled at the plate, hitting just .253/.289/.448 (85 OPS+) over his first 166 PA.

Kemp’s performance would rebound the next season, and he’d quickly become a fixture in the Dodgers’ lineup. He’d spent the first nine years of his career with L.A., hitting a collective .292/.349/.495 (128 OPS+) with 215 doubles, 33 triples, 182 HR, and 170 stolen bases while winning two Gold Glove Awards, two Silver Slugger Awards, and making two All-Star appearances.

While Kemp was a fan-favorite in Los Angeles, trade speculation followed him for much of his last two seasons with the Dodgers. Kemp was no longer the standout defensive player to go along with his bat. The Dodgers had others ready to play the outfield. Something eventually had to give. In December 2014, the Dodgers traded Kemp (plus $32 million in cash and catcher Tim Federowicz) to San Diego for catcher Yasmani Grandal, left-hander Joe Wieland, and right-hander Zack Eflin. The Padres briefly attempted to renegotiate the deal after Kemp’s physical revealed arthritis in his hips.

A pattern would develop. Kemp spent a season and a half with the Padres before being traded to Atlanta. He would be traded back to the Dodgers six months later (where he made one more All-Star appearance) and then shipped to the Reds another year after that. Kemp closed out his career with a brief stint in Colorado.

All told, he slashed .284/.337/.484 (121 OPS+) with 338 doubles, 287 HR, and 1031 RBI over a 15-year career. He totaled 21.6 WAR.

There are very few players who can say they were drafted three times. Nick Markakis falls within that group. The Cincinnati Reds tried — twice — to bring him into the organization, first selecting him with their 35th-round pick in 2001 out of high school (Woodstock, GA) and then using their 23rd-round pick the following year after his first year of junior college. Markakis didn’t sign either time and would end up being named Baseball America’s JuCO Player of the Year in 2002.

The Baltimore Orioles used the 7th overall selection in the 2002 Draft to select Markakis out of Young Harris College (Young Harris, GA). Markakis spent just over two seasons in the minors before skipping Triple-A completely, winning a spot on Baltimore’s Opening Day roster in 2005. He hit .291/.351/.448 (106 OPS+) in 542 PA with 25 doubles, 16 HR, and 62 RBI as a rookie, finishing sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting (Justin Verlander was the runaway winner).

Markakis quickly showed that his first season was a sign of things to come. He became one of the most consistent and dependable players across the sport, averaging 151 games and 662 PA a season throughout his nine-year tenure with the Orioles, while batting .290/.358/.435 (113 OPS+) with 1547 hits, 316 doubles, and 141 home runs. He also won a pair of Gold Glove Awards with the team.

Markakis made his first trip into free agency following the 2014 season and opted to play close to home, agreeing to a four-year, $44 million deal with the Atlanta Braves. He continued being just as durable in Atlanta, missing just eight total games over those four seasons while slashing .284/.359/.400 (105 OPS+), making his lone All-Star appearance, and winning another Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger Award.

Despite coming off a strong 2018 season at the age of 34, Markakis passed on more lucrative opportunities to remain with the Braves, signing two consecutive one-year deals to extend his stay with the team (one for $6 million, one for $4 million). He’d miss some time in 2019 after being hit by a pitch and then more time in 2020 from a COVID exposure. He’d retire following the season.

Overall, Markakis hit .288/.357/.423 (109 OPS+) with 2,388 hits, 514 doubles, 189 HR, and 1046 RBI during his 15-year career, totaling 33.7 WAR.

Shin-Soo Choo has the unique distinction of being the first Korean player to ever appear on the Hall of Fame ballot. His long career in the major leagues already helped play a big role in growing the sport’s popularity in Korea, but this honor — because just getting on the ballot is an honor in itself — may only further help promote that growth.

The Seattle Mariners signed Choo as an international amateur free agent out of high school as an 18-year-old in August 2000. He’d steadily climb through the Mariners’ minor league system before making his debut in April 2005 when the team was hit with several early-season injuries. He was up and down several times between Seattle and Triple-A that season, hitting just 1-for-18 in the big leagues.

Choo spent most of the next season back at Triple-A again before the Mariners called him up in early July. He’d go 1-for-11 before being traded to the Cleveland Indians (with left-hander Shawn Nottingham) for first baseman/outfielder Ben Broussard before the trade deadline.

It took another season and a half at Triple-A (though he missed much of 2007 with an elbow injury that would eventually require Tommy John surgery in September) before Choo received a chance at regular playing time with Cleveland. He’d join the Indians to start June 2008 and spent the rest of the season with the team, hitting .309/.397/.549 (151 OPS+) in 370 PA.

Choo became a regular fixture in the Cleveland outfield after that and spent seven seasons with the team, hitting a collective .292/.383/.469 (134 OPS+).

Facing his final season of arbitration eligibility, Cleveland opted to include Choo in a three-team, nine-player trade in December 2012. Choo (and minor league infielder Jason Donald) went to Cincinnati. Cleveland received five total players in return from the Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks. Choo hit .285/.423/.462 (145 OPS+) in his lone season with the Reds.

The Texas Rangers signed Choo to a seven-year, $130 million contract in free agency the subsequent offseason. Choo was plagued by injuries during his Rangers tenure (missing time due to an ankle injury, a strained calf, a back strain, a fractured forearm, and finally arthroscopic shoulder surgery). Still, he batted .260/.363/.429 (109 OPS+) and made his lone All-Star appearance.

Choo spent 16 years in the majors, hitting .275/.377/.447 (122 OPS+) with 339 doubles, 210 home runs, and 157 stolen bases. He totaled 34.7 WAR. Among Asian players in MLB history, only Shohei Ohtani has hit more home runs (280).

Choo rarely shied from his desire to return to Korea at the end of his career. He’d sign a one-year deal with the SSG Landers and would spend four seasons with the team, slashing .263/.388/.424 and helping the Landers win the KBO Championship in 2022.