PEDs, peak length, and career profile kept three retired former members of the Boston Red Sox out of the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the Class of 2026.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 was announced Tuesday night, and for Red Sox fans, it came with a familiar mix of pride, frustration, and reality.
Three names with deep Boston ties - Manny Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, and Rick Porcello - were on the ballot.
None heard their name called.
Each case was different. The outcome, however, was the same.
Here are three takeaways from why all three fell short of Cooperstown this time around:
1. Ramirez’s case was never about production:
On pure baseball merit, Manny Ramirez should be a no-doubt Hall of Famer.
One of the greatest right-handed hitters the sport has ever seen, Manny’s bat defined an era and powered two championships in Boston.
But Hall of Fame voting doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Ramirez’s two PED violations - including a suspension in 2009 and a second failed test that prompted his abrupt retirement in 2011 - remain disqualifying for a large portion of the BBWAA electorate.
Even in his 10th-and-final year on the ballot, the math was never realistic. Jumping from the mid-30s to 75% was always a bridge too far.
For many voters, Manny’s greatness is undeniable - and still not forgivable.
Ramirez will now have to wait for consideration by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee (formerly the Veterans Committee). His next opportunity for this, which evaluates players no longer on the main ballot, would not come until at least 2028.
May 9, 2007; Toronto, ON, Canada; Boston Red Sox left fielder (24) Manny Ramirez bats against the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON. Boston won 9-3. (Tom Szczerbowski/Imagn Images)2. Pedroia’s peak was Hall-worthy. His career length wasn’t:
Dustin Pedroia’s resume checks nearly every traditional box:
MVP, Rookie of the Year, Gold Gloves, championships, elite defense, and one of the best primes of any second baseman in recent history.
The problem isn’t what Pedroia was. It’s how long he was able to be it.
A career cut short by a devastating knee injury left him with 51.9 WAR - impressive, but borderline - and just 11 truly healthy seasons.
Hall voters have historically struggled with “short-career, elite-peak” candidates, especially at non-premium offensive positions.
Pedroia feels like a Hall of Famer. His case reads like one. But Cooperstown has never been kind to players whose careers ended too early.
Jul 5, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) takes off his gloves after hitting into a double play during the fifth inning in game one against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. (Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images)3. Porcello had the hardware, not the historical profile:
Rick Porcello’s 2016 Cy Young season was real. It was earned. And it was excellent.
It was also the exception.
Across 12 seasons, Porcello compiled 29.4 WAR, a career ERA+ below league average, and no milestone counting stats that typically carry pitchers over the Hall threshold.
Durability matters. Consistency matters. But unfortunately for Porcello, dominance does, too.
Porcello’s career was valuable, respectable, and meaningful to a championship team (2018). It just never resembled a Hall of Fame trajectory.
Apr 5, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello (22) is honored with the Cy Young Award prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park. (Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images)Three Red Sox. Three very different careers.
One shared outcome.
Cooperstown remains exclusive for a reason, even when the names feel like they belong.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.