The Opener: Hall Of Fame, Rays, Phillies

"Anyone who receives 75% of the vote or more will join second baseman Jeff Kent as part of the 2026 Hall of Fame class. This year's class of newcomers to the ballot is headlined by southpaw Cole Hamels, though the lefty won't be inducted on his first ballot. Outfielder Manny Ramirez is entering his final year on the ballot and will surely miss out on induction due to PED usage during his career, as steroid era legends like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have before him."

"As noted by Lucy Marques, Colleen Wright, Nina Moske, and Nicolas Villamil of the Tampa Bay Times, the board of trustees for Hillsborough College are scheduled to vote at 4pm local time this afternoon on a memorandum of understanding with the Rays regarding a stadium plan at the college's Dale Mabry campus. The team's proposal would see a stadium built at that campus and also upgrades to the school's facilities on the campus."

The Hall of Fame vote results will be announced at 5pm CT, with a 75% threshold required for induction. Cole Hamels headlines the newcomers but is not expected to gain election on his first ballot. Manny Ramirez enters his final year on the ballot and is widely expected to miss induction due to PED usage, following precedents set by Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. Ryan Thibodaux's BBHOF Tracker reports about 54% of ballots are publicly available and notes that if remaining ballots mirror those, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones would both be elected. The Rays, under new ownership, pursue a stadium at Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus, with a 4pm trustee vote on a memorandum of understanding and proposed campus facility upgrades; multiple further approvals would be required. The Phillies have made their reunion with catcher J.T. Realmuto official.

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