We love to add more sub-sections at Notinhalloffame.com, and if you have been looking at our recent posts, you can see that our current focus is on our Futures Section, which look at eventual candidates who have retired from their respective sport, but are not yet Hall of Fame eligible.  Today, we unveil the latest add-on, the 2026 Baseball Futures of the players who qualify for Cooperstown in 2026.

Here are the players in our 2026 Baseball Futures Section:

Alex Gordon:  Playing his entire career with the Royals, Gordon won three Gold Gloves, was a three-time All-Star and was a member of the 2015 World Series Championship Team.

Chris Davis:  Davis was a power hitter who won two American League Home Run Titles as a member of the Orioles.

Cole Hamels:  Hamels helped lead Philadelphia to a World Series win in 2008, and he was the NLCS and World Series MVP that year.  A four-year All-Star, Hamels had four top ten Cy Young finishes and 2,560 Strikeouts.

Daniel Murphy:  Murphy was the runner-up for the 2016 National League MVP in 2016, and was a three-time All-Star.  He also won two Silver Sluggers and twice led the NL in Doubles.

Edinson Volquez:  Volquez was a long time Starting Pitcher who went to one All-Star Game and won a World Series with Kansas City in 2015.

Edwin Encarnacion:  Finding his stride as a Designated Hitter with Toronto, Encarnacion earned three All-Star appearances, and had 429 Home Runs.

Gio Gonzalez:  Gonzalez went to two All-Star Games and had an overall record of 131-101 and 1,860 Strikeouts.

Howie Kendrick:  Kendrick played most of his career with the Angels where he was an All-Star in 2011, but he would later win an NLCS MVP and World Series Ring with Washington in 2019.

Hunter Pence:  Pence was a four-time All-Star who won two World Series Rings with the San Francisco Giants.

Jason Kipnis:  Kipnis is best known for his time with Cleveland where was a two-time All-Star and won one a Wilson Defensive Player Award.

Jeff Samardzija:  Samardzija was an All-Star Pitcher in 2014 and also led the NL in Strikeouts in 2017.

Kelvin Herrera:  Herrera went to two All-Star Games as a Relief Pitcher and would win a World Series with Kansas City in 2015.

Matt Kemp:  Kemp went to three All-Star Games, and won two Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers.  He was the runner-up for the NL MVP in 2011 when he was a Dodger.

Matt Wieters:  Wieters was a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner as the Catcher for the Orioles.

Nick Markakis:  Splitting his career between Baltimore and Atlanta, Markakis won three Gloves, one Silver Slugger and went to one All-Star Game.

Rick Porcello:  The Starting Pitcher won the American League Cy Young Award in 2016 and the World Series two years later. 

Ryan Braun:  Braun played his entire career with Milwaukee where he won the AL Rookie of the Year in 2008 and the AL MVP in 2011.  He is also a five-time Silver Slugger, six-time All-Star and he twice led the league in OPS and Slugging Percentage.

Shin-Soo Choo:  Choo is one of the first everyday players from South Korea and was an All-Star in 2018.

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Nick Markakis was a First Round Pick in 2003 (7^th Overall), where he joined the Baltimore Orioles system, save for a brief stop representing Greece in the 2004 Olympics.  

Markakis became Baltimore’s starting Rightfielder out of the 2006 Training Camp, and he immediately was one of the more consistent hitters in Baseball. He batted at least .280 in his first seven years, with a five-year run of at least 180 Hits (2007-11). He was not the most prolific Home Run hitter, but he had 189 a pair of 20 Home Run years, both with Baltimore.   

Markakis signed with the Atlanta Braves as a Free Agent in 2014, and though his power numbers were not as strong, he still had good campaigns with Hits and Average. He would have his lone All-Star year (2018) in Atlanta, also securing a Silver Slugger.

Defensively, Markakis won a pair of Gold Gloves, both with Baltimore (2011 & 2014), and while his skill set was not flashy, it was extraordinarily efficient. Markakis led his league position three times in Total Zone Runs and seven times in Fielding Percentage, which included a 398-Game stretch without an error.

Markakis completed his career with 2,388 Hits, 189 Home Runs, and 1,046 RBIs, solid numbers in any era.

There always seems to be a significant retirement in baseball’s Spring Training.  For 2021, it is Nick Markakis of the Atlanta Braves.

Playing at Rightfield, Markakis debuted with the Baltimore Orioles in 2006 where he was sixth in Rookie of the Year voting.  Markakis showed decent power, having back-to-back 20 HR/.300 years (2007 & 2008), and he was twice a Gold Glove recipient.

After the 2014 Season, Markakis signed with the Atlanta Braves, and in 2018, he was chosen for his first Silver Slugger and All-Star Game, while earning a third Gold Glove.

Markakis retires with 2,388 Hits, 189 Home Runs, 1,046 RBIs with a Slash Line of .288/.357/.433.

Markakis will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2026.  While he is not likely to get inducted, he will appear on the ballot, and might receive a few votes.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to wish Nick Markakis the best in his post-playing career.

Nick Markakis was a highly touted player who was drafted seventh overall in 2003.  Playing in the Outfield, Markakis debuted for the O’s in 2006, where he finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting, and he showed good power with a nice batting average.