He is known as one of the most popular and at times prolific Blue Jays sluggers, and now Edwin Encarnacion is a candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The 42-year-old, who had his best years in the big leagues while with the Jays, was among the new names added to the ballot for consideration for the 2026 class for the Cooperstown shrine.

A three-time all-star during his eight years in Toronto, where he slugged alongside big bats such as Jose Bautista and Josh Donaldson, Encarnacion was a fan favourite in Toronto.

The Dominican native, who still serves as a consultant with the team and was around the Jays during the post-season, played predominantly at first base.

While in Toronto, he hit 239 of his 424 home runs and became renowned for his popular parrot celebration when he hit one out.

His biggest blast, arguably, was the walkout belt he hit in the 2016 wild-card game to defeat the Baltimore Orioles, part of back-to-back seasons that era of the Jays made sustained post-season runs.

Encarnacion was one of a dozen first-time candidates on next year’s ballot and will join 15 holdovers from last season. A player must appear on 75% of the ballots in voting done by the Baseball Writers Association of America to be inducted. Next year’s class will be announced on Jan. 20, 2026.

Among those newcomers joining Encarnacion on the ballot are Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun, Daniel Murphy, Shin-Soo Choo and Nick Markakis.

Besides those 239 homers in his 999 games with the Jays, he posted a healthy .268 batting average with 679 RBIs, including an AL-best 127 in 2016.

Links to Vladdy

In an interview with the Toronto Sun in 2023 while in Dunedin where he was working as a special assistant, Encarnacion said “Toronto made me who I am.”

He was particularly proud of current Jays slugger and fellow Dominican Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

“Hell ya, man. I feel very proud about him,” Encarnacion said of a Dominican protege excelling in a city that has embraced so many stars from the island over the years. “I had a chance to see him since he was a kid and now he’s in the big leagues and he’s been an all-star and a superstar.”

Among his highlights in Toronto, Encarnacion was particularly thrilled with the 2015 season, when the Jays emerged from the darkness of poor seasons to contenders.

“It was a very special moment,” Encarnacion said. “We came from last place (during the season) to make the playoffs and that was the first playoff experience of my career. It was very special for me.”