One year ago, the Hall of Fame conversation centered on three players: the near-unanimous Ichiro Suzuki, clear first-ballot choice CC Sabathia, and long-deferred Billy Wagner. The 2026 cycle is another matter. We’ve arrived at a page in the Cooperstown story without an obvious main character. Welcome to the “Comfort Plus” ballot, with extra elbow room for voters to advocate for candidates previously overshadowed by slam-dunk first-timers or urgent, last-chance cases.