The Latin American Baseball Hall of Fame announced the election of Dominicans Albert Pujols and Edwin Encarnación, Puerto Rican Yadier Molina and Venezuelan Magglio Ordóñez as new members on Tuesday.
The four new inductees were selected by the Circle of Chroniclers of the Latin American Baseball Hall of Fame within the Contemporary Players category of the XIII Class of Exaltation.
After the voting period concluded on Aug. 30, accredited members of the Circle of Chroniclers evaluated the careers, sporting achievements, historical impact, and legacy of the figures included on the official ballot. Pujols, Molina, Ordóñez, and Encarnación received the four highest vote totals and will be inducted in December 2026 in Caguas, Puerto Rico.
"It is a true honor to see how our Circle of Writers has selected, through a fair and balanced process, a class that represents the highest excellence of Latin American baseball in the most demanding arenas of the game," said Robinson Paredes, the executive director of the Latin American Baseball Hall of Fame. "The four new members were not only great players; they are also examples of perseverance, leadership, and civic responsibility. Each has used their career to contribute to their communities in different ways. We are deeply proud to welcome them to the Latin American Baseball Hall of Fame.”
The official vote resulted in a tie for first place between Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina, who appeared on all ballots cast by participating members of the Circle of Chroniclers. Venezuelan Magglio Ordóñez came in third, while Edwin Encarnación finished fourth, completing this year's class.
Very close to the cutoff for the selection of the four most voted candidates were the Venezuelan Víctor Martínez, the Cuban Liván Hernández, the Dominicans José Reyes and Aramis Ramírez, and the Curaçaoan Wladimir “Coco” Balentien.
World Baseball Network's Leif Skodnick cast a ballot in the election, voting for Pujols, Molina, Martinez, Hernandez, and Balentien.