NEW YORK, NY — There was a young Gio González with the Oakland Athletics in 2008, a few years later pitching against the Mets at Citi Field. The left-hander of Cuban descent in 2008 made his Major League debut with the A’s, a journey to be there with family and friends from Hialeah, Florida and nearby Jersey City.
I remember González had to prove he needed that rotation spot with the A’s, and he earned it. A dozen years later, the 2017 National League LatinoMVP Pitcher of the Year would develop a nasty changeup with the White Sox, Nationals, and Brewers. He did something right and continued to perfect his craft as an All-Star with the A’s and Nationals.
Gio González received the news earlier this week of making the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot with the inductees set to be announced on January 20th of 2026 – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
His 21-win season in 2012 enabled a third place finish for the NL CY Young Award, trailing eventual Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw and recipient R.A. Dickey of the Mets. Accomplishments including 130 wins, and lots of memories. He also won 15 games with the Nationals in 2017 and was a member of their 2019 World Series championship team.
This past Monday and quietly, the 2026 Hall of Fame ballots were released, 27 former players including 15 holdovers will await votes by the BBWAA that will be complete as the year ends. Inductees will be announced on January 20th of 2026.
And Gio González quietly via text messages from his brother and a few friends was informed he was one of those names on the ballot in his first year of eligibility. After leaving the mound for the final time in 2020 with brief minor league roles on the Yankees and Marlins that year, this was far from what he envisioned.
“Honestly, I was grateful,” he said Tuesday morning from his home in Bethesda, Maryland. “It’s the most humbling award and experience even mentioned in my life, very humbling. Couldn’t be more grateful period to play baseball. Nothing but best for the best to be mentioned. I don’t even have the words for it incredible but honestly just getting to play baseball.”
Now at 40-years-old, González sits back and enjoys family with his wife, daughter and two sons, the oldest always tossing the baseball together. He occasionally catches up with the game, honestly, though, González admits he is not a fan of this new baseball era of pitchers throwing hard and not focusing on the strike zone.
He says, “baseball has hit its peak. It’s not what you grew up watching,” referring to All-Star pitchers Greg Maddux and Hall of Famer Tom Glavine, an analyst with Fox Sports. He mentions the different strategies, preparation, and of course how analytics has changed the complexion of the game.
“Yamamoto pitched,” he said about Dodgers’ 2025 World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto who threw two complete games in the postseason. “He painted the dotted line in and out.”
However, González threw the right pitch. He became to this writer his good luck charm when pitching against the Mets at Citi Field. In other words it was González on the mound and a 5-1 record with yours truly in the press box as he perfected a changeup later in his career.
Gio González after receiving his 2017 NL LatinoMVP Pitcher of the Year Award at Citi Field prior to a Nationals-Mets regular season matchup – Image Credit: Latino Sports
Citi Field, though became his favorite ballpark, a second home, pitching to a 11-1 record and 1.78 ERA. Incredible as it reads, but a pitcher always seems to find the right spots and mound to achieve that success.
“It’s like riding a bike,” he says. “Same as pitching, it doesn’t just go away.”
And going away as to leaving baseball, there are no regrets. González got rewarded with a healthy contract from the Nationals, developed unique and special relationships with those in baseball, and of course, his teammates.
Gio González pitched 13 years in MLB and posted a 3.70 career-ERA with 1,860 strikeouts while also recording three home runs at the plate – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
He said about his tenure with the Nationals and former GM Mike Rizzo, “Great organization when I played for them. Open arms, very caring and respectful. Rizzo was more than a GM, a person and great man.”
Content as a former pitcher he has no immediate desire to coach or work as an advisor for a MLB team, though don’t rule it out. Former players, after all, never let the baseball leave their hand.
“I don’t think I’m there yet,” he says about a possible role in the game. “I’m happy there’s no pressure. I respect the game so much to be hard to talk bad about a player. Baseball has been more than good to me, more than it should have ever done for me, my family and I get to spend it with them.”
“Brought a lot of joy in my life. Grateful to finally hang it up. Know how hard it is, remember those days of clocking in, taking couple of days off in the off season and going back at it twenty years of my life.”
Chances of enshrinement the first time are slim, González is aware of the company on that ballot including left hander Cole Hamels and 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun.
75 percent of the vote is a call to the Hall.
Regardless, the Gio González name is there and that’s another accomplishment.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com – X: @Ring 786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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