FanGraphs Weekly Mailbag: January 10, 2026
Exciting news, everyone! In just about a month’s time, pitchers and catchers will be reporting to their respective spring training sites, with the rhythms of the game beginning once again. And with the start of mitts popping and best-shape-of-my-life boasting, the hopes and fears of baseball to come will be renewed.
Until then, we have plenty of things to give us Certified Baseball Sickos our fix. Four of the top five and six of the top 10 players on Ben Clemens’ Top 50 Free Agents rankings remain unsigned, including a trio of former Astros teammates in Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Framber Valdez. Also coming soon: the results of the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame election, which will be announced on January 20. As always, Jay Jaffe has been covering the ballot top to bottom with his indispensable series of player profiles.
We’ll talk a little bit of Hall of Fame today, but through the lens of the best pitchers who never received a Hall of Fame vote. Also in this mailbag, Michael Baumann digs into Chandler Simpson, Davy Andrews looks at whether inducing popups is a skill for pitchers, and Dan Szymborski explains which types of players have the widest variance in their ZiPS projections. Before we continue, though, I’d like to remind you that this mailbag is exclusive to FanGraphs Members. If you aren’t yet a Member and would like to keep reading, you can sign up for a Membership here. It’s the best way to both experience the site and support our staff, and it comes with a bunch of other great benefits. Also, if you’d like to ask a question for an upcoming mailbag, send me an email at mailbag@fangraphs.com.
Matt is the associate editor of FanGraphs. Previously, he was the baseball editor at Sports Illustrated. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Men’s Health, Baseball Prospectus, and Lindy’s Sports Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @ByMattMartell and Blue Sky @mattmartell.bsky.social.
Willie Davis, Tony Phillips, Jimmy Wynn, Brian Giles, Tom Candiotti, Frank Tanana, Mark Langston featured in the set of the last four mailbags for dubious reasons. I’d gladly take that core of players for my team!
This could be the foundation of the best team in MLB history without a Hall of Famer or probable Hall of Famer. (Or guy kept out entirely because of PED use)
Is this better or worse than the core of the 2015 Royals? Or 2002 Angels? I think it is better. By a lot.
The team that I think would be hardest to top is the 2016 Cubs. I suppose Aroldis Chapman could get in but he is far from a lock.
Jon Lester feels like a future committee inductee
Chapman, Schwarber, and—hear me out—Joe Nathan, Jon Lester, and Ben Zobrist might all have cases. The first two by the writers, the last 3 by the right VC slate.
To say nothing of a potential David Ross managerial renaissance (Rossaissance?) and late in life HOF honor.
is that what you think?
Haven’t decided yet
The 2005 White Sox won 99 games and went 11-1 in the post season. None of them are coming close to getting in unless Reinsdorf holds a committee hostage for Mark Buehrle