FanGraphs Weekly Mailbag: January 10, 2026
Get ready for some baseball excitement! In just a month, pitchers and catchers will be gearing up for spring training, marking the return of the sport's unique rhythm. As the season approaches, the anticipation and anxiety surrounding the upcoming games are palpable. But until then, we've got plenty to keep us in the baseball loop.
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: Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, and Framber Valdez. These players are still on the market, and their absence from the lineup is a significant talking point. Additionally, the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame election results will be announced on January 20, with Jay Jaffe's comprehensive player profiles providing valuable insights.
Today, we'll explore the Hall of Fame through the lens of the best pitchers who never received a Hall of Fame vote. Michael Baumann delves into Chandler Simpson's performance, Davy Andrews examines the skill of inducing popups in pitchers, and Dan Szymborski explains the variance in ZiPS projections for different player types. Before we dive in, remember that this mailbag is exclusive to FanGraphs Members.
If you're not already a Member and want to continue reading, sign up for a Membership here. It's the best way to support our staff and access a range of benefits, including ad-free browsing, unlimited articles, and personalized data tools.
To ask a question for an upcoming mailbag, send an email to mailbag@fangraphs.com.
This Mailbag Article Is Exclusively for Members
Membership offers:
- Ad-free browsing
- Unlimited access to FanGraphs and RotoGraphs articles
- One-click data exports
- Customizable player page cards
- Custom leaderboard reports
- Enhanced Steamer projections
- Historical ZiPS and Steamer projections
- Dark and classic site modes
- Option to remove photos on the homepage
- FanGraphs Walk-off, a personalized year-end site usage review
Click Here To Become a Member
(https://plus.fangraphs.com/product/fangraphs-membership/?ifgc=article_mailbag)
