Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens Headline 2026 Contemporary Baseball Era Hall of Fame Ballot

The Baseball Hall of Fame announced the eight legends who will be considered for enshrinement on the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot.

All-time home run leader Barry Bonds and seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens headline the group:

"The Committee shall consider all candidates and voting shall be based upon the individual's record, ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character and contribution to the game," the Hall of Fame explains of the voting procedure.

Members of the era committee can vote for up to three candidates, and a vote share of at least 75 percent is required for induction.

The Contemporary ballot is a star-studded affair.

Fernando Valenzuela was a six-time All-Star and won both a Cy Young and World Series title in 1981. Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are all former MVPs, with Murphy winning the award twice. Gary Sheffield is a five-time Silver Slugger and member of the 500 home run club.

All eyes will be on Bonds and Clemens, though.

The pair would've been first-ballot Hall of Famers if their careers hadn't been tainted by allegations of steroid usage.

Bonds is one of the greatest hitters ever. Beyond his 762 home runs, he retired with a career .298 batting average and .444 on-base percentage. He continued slugging well over .500 into his 40s.

Still, Bonds only peaked at 66 percent in his Hall of Fame vote share before hitting the maximum of 10 years for ballot eligibility.

Clemens was equally dominant on the mound. His 138.7 WAR ranks third among all pitchers at Baseball Reference, and he's third in strikeouts (4,672). Across 24 seasons, the right-hander maintained a 3.12 ERA and a 1.173 WHIP.

Like Bonds, Clemens exhausted his eligibility on the traditional ballot. He had 65.2 percent of the vote in 2022 before he was removed.

On their merits as players, Bonds and Clemens deserve a place in Cooperstown, New York. The specter of PEDs may continue to overshadow what they did on the field.