NEWS: Fernando Valenzuela, Carlos Delgado named on Hall of Fame Contemporary Era ballot

Fernando Valenzuela and Carlos Delgado are among eight former MLB stars named this week on the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Contemporary Baseball Era ballot.

A committee of writers and historians are set to meet in Orlando, Florida on December 7 to determine which one of them will join the game’s immortals in Cooperstown next summer. The ballot also includes Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, and Gary Sheffield.

Among the notable candidates is Delgado, the slugging first baseman who belted 473 home runs over a 17-year career with the Blue Jays, Marlins, and Mets. One of baseball’s most consistent power hitters, the Puerto Rico native recorded 11 straight seasons with at least 25 homers, earned three Silver Slugger Awards, and was a two-time all-star. He made the Top 10 in MVP voting four times from 1993-2009.

Joining him on the ballot is the late Valenzuela, whose 1981 season remains one of the most electrifying in baseball history. That year, the Dodgers’ left-hander became the first — and still only — pitcher to win both the Rookie of the Year and Cy Young Awards in the same season, plus a Silver Slugger award as the best-hitting pitcher in the National League.

The Mexico native hurled 8 shoutouts that year, and his charisma and dominance sparked “Fernandomania,” a cultural phenomenon that transcended sports as he helped lead the Dodgers to a World Series championship. Over 17 seasons, Valenzuela compiled a 173–153 record, made six All-Star teams, and finished in the Top 5 of Cy Young voting four times. He died in Los Angeles in 2024 at age 63.

A player needs votes on 75 percent of the ballots to be inducted into the Hall. Results will be announced live on December 7, and induction ceremonies will be held July 26, 2026, in Cooperstown, New York.