Beltrán, Andruw Jones elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Cooperstown's population is increasing by two.

Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Beltrán, in his fourth year of eligibility, received 84.2% of the vote, while Jones garnered 78.4% in his ninth year of candidacy.

The two longtime center fielders join Era Committee selection Jeff Kent to round out the Hall of Fame's class of 2026. They'll be officially inducted on July 26 in Cooperstown.

Beltrán, the fifth Puerto Rican-born player elected to Cooperstown, is one of only eight players who collected at least 300 homers and 300 steals, and he sits in the top 30 all-time in extra-base hits and doubles. The nine-time All-Star won two Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves, and the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year award over his 20-year career with seven teams, most notably with the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and Houston Astros.

Beltrán's also one of the greatest postseason hitters ever, slashing .307/.412/.609 over 65 playoff contests across seven Octobers. His most famous playoff run came in 2004, when he carried the Astros to the NLCS by hitting .435/.536/1.022 with eight homers and six steals. He returned to Houston in 2017, winning a World Series in his final season.

Beltrán's election was likely delayed due to his involvement in the 2017 Astros' sign-stealing controversy. The only player publicly named in the scandal, he lost his job as Mets manager before ever managing a game. Beltrán narrowly missed going in last year, garnering 70.3% of the vote in 2025.

Jones is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive center fielders in baseball history. His 10 Gold Gloves are tied with Ken Griffey Jr. for second-most among center fielders, with only Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente winning more in the outfield.

But the Curaçao native could also hit, posting a lifetime .823 OPS with 434 homers and 1,289 RBIs across 17 big-league seasons, primarily with the Atlanta Braves. Jones won the NL Hank Aaron Award and a Silver Slugger in 2005 after hitting 51 homers for the Braves. He's one of four players to hit 400-plus homers and win at least 10 Gold Gloves, alongside fellow Hall of Famers Griffey, Mays, and Mike Schmidt.

Jones broke in with the Braves as a teenager in 1996, serving as their center fielder for 11 years during the latter stages of their NL East dynasty. He suffered a steep decline in production at age 31 and spent several years as a platoon outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees before playing his final two seasons in Japan.

His election completes a remarkable climb to immortality. After debuting at 7.3% in 2018, Jones didn't jump above the 10% mark until his third year of eligibility. After that, he slowly gained momentum and reached above 60% two years ago, setting the stage for Tuesday's result.

"It was very close for me to be off the ballot," Jones said, according to The Associated Press. "To go all the way from 7% and be in the Hall of Fame is a great honor."

Beltrán and Jones are just the ninth and 10th center fielders elected by the BBWAA since voting began in 1936. Only two other primary center fielders - Kirby Puckett (2001) and Griffey (2016) - have been voted in by writers in the 21st century.