Chicago White Sox legend Mark Buehrle once again fell short of the 2026 Hall of Fame class, but a significant jump in support shows his chances are far from finished.
Ask anybody on the South Side of Chicago what they think of Mark Buehrle, and they’ll tell you the southpaw belongs in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Buehrle’s career, spanning from 2000–2015, peaked with the Chicago White Sox, and while he wasn’t flashy or dominant most years, it serves as a reminder that reliability can be the foundation of history — and that pitching, as we once knew it, is becoming a dying art.
Buehrle was the model of consistency over the course of his career, but especially during his time in Chicago.
He astonishingly threw 200-plus innings in 14 consecutive seasons, a mark few pitchers even come close to reaching in the modern game. He also made at least 30 starts and won 10 or more games in 15 straight seasons.
Buehrle won four Gold Glove Awards and helped lead the White Sox rotation to a 2005 World Series title.
He is also one of just seven pitchers in MLB history to throw both a no-hitter and a perfect game. The other six — Cy Young, Addie Joss, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, Randy Johnson, and Roy Halladay — are all enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
It feels only right that Buehrle eventually joins them.
But despite having the accolades and longevity to warrant serious consideration, the fact that he a.) wasn’t a dominant strikeout arm, and b.) played on several under-the-radar White Sox teams has prevented him from receiving the national recognition he deserves.
That’s why Buehrle once again fell short of induction into the 2026 Hall of Fame class.
The class — which included Carlos Beltrán and former White Sox outfielder Andruw Jones — was revealed Tuesday evening, along with the voting totals.
This was Buehrle’s sixth year on the ballot, and he received 85 votes, good for exactly 20.0 percent. While that’s still a long way from the required 75 percent needed for induction, it represents a massive step forward and the most support he’s received by a wide margin.
Buehrle will have 10 years total on the ballot to reach that threshold before falling off entirely. That leaves four more campaigns to pick up the remaining 55 percent — a tall task, but not an impossible one after such a notable jump.
Jeff Kent serves as a cautionary tale. Kent sat at 18.1 percent in his sixth year on the ballot and climbed as high as 46.5 percent in his 10th year before falling off. Fortunately for him, he was later selected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December 2025 and will join the 2026 Hall of Fame class.
Gary Sheffield is another example of how difficult it can be to generate a late surge. Sheffield had 30.5 percent of the vote in his sixth year, peaked at 63.9 percent, and ultimately fell short. He has yet to be inducted.
But it can be done.
Larry Walker had just 15.5 percent of the vote in his sixth year before jumping to 21.9, then 34.1, 54.6, and finally 76.6 percent in his 10th year — just enough to reach Cooperstown.
Edgar Martínez followed a similar path. He received 27 percent in Year 6, then surged to 43.4, 58.6, 70.4, and finally 85.4 percent.
We’ll know a lot more this time next year about how realistic Buehrle’s chances truly are. For now, hope extends another year as he inches closer to the necessary total.
Mark Buehrle belongs in Cooperstown.
For now, White Sox fans can take a small victory in knowing that he’s still got a shot.