Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2026, joining Jeff Kent who was selected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. Beltrán received 84.2% of the vote in his fourth year on the ballot, while Jones garnered 78.4% in his ninth attempt after starting with just 7.3%. The trio will be inducted on July 26 in Cooperstown, New York.
The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) announced the results of the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot on Tuesday, with 425 ballots cast requiring 319 votes for election. Beltrán, a nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner in center field, finished his 20-year career with 435 home runs, 312 stolen bases, and 2,725 hits. Born in Puerto Rico, he becomes the sixth Hall of Famer from the island, following Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar, Ivan Rodriguez, and Edgar Martínez. Despite his involvement in the Houston Astros' 2017 sign-stealing scandal, which led to his dismissal as Mets manager before the 2020 season, Beltrán's support grew steadily: 46.5% in 2023, 57.1% in 2024, 70.3% in 2025, and now 84.2%. He reflected on the honor, stating, “There’s no doubt that today, my life really has changed,” and noted the significance for his family and Puerto Rico. Beltrán is likely to enter with a Mets cap, saying, “There’s no doubt that the Mets are a big part of my identity.” His career highlights include the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year award with the Royals, a stellar 2004 postseason with the Astros (1.557 OPS), and a World Series title in Houston in 2017. He also spent key years with the Mets, hitting 149 home runs and driving in 559 runs from 2005-2011. Jeff Kent, elected in December by the Contemporary Era Committee, rounds out the class with his distinguished second-base career. Andruw Jones, the Braves' legendary center fielder, overcame a slow start on the ballot to secure induction. Debuting as a 19-year-old in 1996, he homered in his first two World Series at-bats against the Yankees, remaining the youngest player to do so and the only teenager. Jones won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998-2007, posting a 24.2 defensive WAR during that span, the highest among outfielders. He hit 434 home runs over 17 seasons, primarily with Atlanta, contributing to 10 division titles in their 1991-2005 streak. Jones joins Braves Hall of Famers Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Chipper Jones, Fred McGriff, Bobby Cox, and John Schuerholz. Emotional upon learning of his election in the Dominican Republic, Jones said, “To be honest, when I was playing I never thought about possibly going to the Hall of Fame. I played the game because I love it.” He credited Willie Mays, who once called him the best center fielder he'd seen. Chipper Jones encouraged him, saying the Hall wouldn't be complete without Andruw. Other notables on the ballot included Chase Utley (59.1%), but Manny Ramírez fell off after 38.8% in his final year, impacted by PED suspensions. The induction ceremony on July 26 will honor this class's contributions to baseball.
