Aug 6, 2018; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (10) hits a three-run home run in the seventh inning against the Minnesota Twins at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images David Richard-Imagn Images

Three First-Year Hall of Fame Eligible Cleveland Players For 2026

Originally posted on Cleveland Guardians on SI
By Logan Potosky | Last updated Jan 21, 2025 11:00 PM ET

On Tuesday, the Cleveland Guardians had another former player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame with the election of former longtime ace CC Sabathia.

The Guardians have had an abundance of talented players over the years, some of whom will also be newly eligible for the Hall of Fame next year.

With this in mind, here are three notable former Cleveland players who will be first-year eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot in 2026.

Shin-Soo Choo

Primarily a right fielder, Choo spent parts of seven seasons with Cleveland. He was acquired during the 2006 season from the Seattle Mariners in the Ben Broussard trade.

During his 685 regular-season games with Cleveland, which lasted through the 2012 campaign, Choo batted .292 with 736 hits, 162 doubles, 83 home runs, 372 RBI, 85 stolen bases, and an .852 OPS.

The South Korea native eventually earned his lone All-Star selection with the Texas Rangers in 2018. Overall, he batted .275 with 1,671 hits, 339 doubles, 218 home runs, 782 RBI, 157 stolen bases, and an .824 OPS in 16 seasons across four different teams.

Edwin Encarnación

Mainly a designated hitter, Encarnación spent two of his 16 seasons with Cleveland in 2017 and 2018. He was signed as a free agent during the 2016 offseason.

While his time with the team was short, he was a very productive bat in Cleveland's lineup. He batted a combined .252 with 266 hits, 70 home runs, 214 RBI, and an .848 OPS in 294 regular-season games. The Dominican Republic native also helped guide Cleveland to a pair of playoff appearances.

Prior to his time with Cleveland, Encarnación was a three-time All-Star for the Toronto Blue Jays. Overall, he batted .260 with 1,832 hits, 424 home runs, 1,261 RBI, and an .846 OPS across six different teams.

Jason Kipnis

After making his MLB debut with Cleveland, in 2011, Kipnis was the team's starting second baseman for the next eight seasons. He was selected by Cleveland in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft.

During his time with the team, the left-handed hitter was a two-time All-Star and helped lead Cleveland to the 2016 World Series. He batted .261 with 1,120 hits, 252 doubles, 123 home runs, 529 RBI, 135 stolen bases, and a .750 OPS in 1,121 regular-season games with the club.

Kipnis finally concluded his MLB career after playing 44 more regular-season games with the Chicago Cubs during the 2020 campaign.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Guardians on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: