The voting for the 2026 Hall of Fame is done and dusted, and surely it didn’t go without controversy. The major highlight of this year’s event is the selection of Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, as they secured 75% votes in the Ballot. And you know, considering the controversial past of Beltran, fans would be buzzing about it. But that’s not all.

It is more about Alex Rodriguez’s snub from this year’s HOF is what caight all the eyes. Fans are left wondering about what made the HOF voting not favour the Yankees legend, but selected someone associated with the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal.

“Alex Rodriguez received 40% of the Hall of Fame vote in his 5th year on the ballot. Rodriguez received 146 votes (37.1%) last year,” SNY shared via X.

Reportedly, to get into Cooperstown, a player needs the backing of 75% of the 425 voters, and this year Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones comfortably cleared that bar.

Beltrán finished with 84.2% of the vote, while Jones came in at 78.4%. Rodriguez, meanwhile, stayed stuck well below the line, earning 40%, a modest bump from the 37.1% he received last year. So, unless there’s a dramatic shift in how voters think, A-Rod appears headed down the same path as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens.

Unsurprisingly, Rodriguez’s continued exclusion has become one of the most polarizing topics in baseball.

No player currently on the ballot seems to divide opinion quite like him. And why not? Over a 22-year career, A-Rod put together a resume that very few players in the game’s long history can rival. Notably, he’s the only player in MLB history to surpass 600 home runs, 3,000 hits, 2,000 RBIs, and 300 stolen bases, along with a shelf full of awards and elite statistical rankings.

Yet despite those numbers, the PED controversy continues to loom large over his candidacy. That’s what leaves many fans puzzled and frustrated. If Rodriguez’s off-field issues are enough to keep him out, they ask, how did Beltrán manage to secure a Hall of Fame spot despite his prominent role in the Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal?

Well, the debate over where voters draw the line, and why, shows no signs of settling down.

Fans are calling out Alex Rodriguez’s snub

What makes Rodriguez a misfit for the MLB Hall of Fame? Fans wonder. “A-Rod is a 1st ballot HOF based on his numbers, and if you were alive during the time he played, he was a top 5 player in the league for like 15 years. How is this even a question?” one fan asks. “Guy was as good as they get and a great teammate. Deserves the nod more than anyone,” added another.

Notably, Rodriguez’s 696 HRs rank fifth all-time, trailing only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Albert Pujols. And surprisingly, both Bonds and Alex Rodriguez misses on Hall of Fame despite being in the top 5 names in MLB. Even Andruw Jones went to secure a HOF seat this year despite being guilty of domestic violence. So, what’s wrong with the Yankees’ veteran?

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“If Beltran can cheat and make the HOF, so can he,” another user commented. “The HOF is broken, trash cam banger Carlos Beltran gets in, but Arod Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are out? HOF makes no sense,” one fan remarked.

Well, there’s no such thing as a flawless athlete. Surely, no player who was all class and integrity both on and off the field. Every player, from the guy who appeared in one big-league game to the stars who played for two decades, has something on their résumé they’d probably rather erase.

Alex Rodriguez, though, has long been cast as the villain, and it’s hard to argue he didn’t bring some of that on himself. He signed the biggest contract in the history of pro sports twice and then was caught using performance-enhancing drugs. Fair or not, that combination has stuck with him, and it still shapes how many people view him today. “Disgrace if he doesn’t get in,” another fan agrees.

Nevertheless, it’s now one more year to wait for the fans to see if Alex Rodriguez can secure his place in Cooperstown.