Carlos Beltran Is Headed to Cooperstown

Two very different kinds of center fielders are headed to Cooperstown in 2026. Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, with both clearing the 75% support needed from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Beltran cruised in on his fourth try with 84.2% of the vote (358 of 425 ballots), while Jones finally made it on his ninth (and second-to-last year of being eligible) with 78.4% (333 votes), reports ESPN. The two players will enter the hall alongside second baseman Jeff Kent, chosen earlier by a contemporary-era panel.

Beltran, 48, becomes the fifth Hall of Famer born in Puerto Rico. A nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, he finished a 20-year career with a .279 average, 2,725 hits, 435 homers, 1,582 runs, and 312 steals—putting him in an exclusive group of four players to reach 2,700 hits, 400 homers, 1,500 runs, and 300 steals, along with Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, and Alex Rodriguez. His candidacy was slowed by his role in the Houston Astros' 2017 sign-stealing scandal, and his election is being seen as a possible signal for how voters may treat other members of that team as they reach the ballot.

Jones, also 48, will be the first Hall of Famer born in Curacao. Known first and foremost for his glove, he's one of just six outfielders with at least 10 Gold Gloves, though he also hit 434 home runs and earned a .254 batting average over 17 seasons. He fell on the public's radar at age 19 when he homered twice in the first game of the 1996 World Series for the Atlanta Braves. His support started at only 7.3% in his first year on the ballot and climbed steadily, despite concerns about his sharp decline after age 30 and a 2012 domestic violence case, in which he pleaded guilty and was fined.

"Competing against each other for so many years, it's just a great honor to be in the same elite group with him," Jones said of Beltran, per the AP. Among other candidates not chosen for induction, Chase Utley led the pack at 59.1%, followed by Andy Pettitte (48.5%) and Felix Hernandez (46.1%). Players tied to steroids were even further down the list, including Alex Rodriquez, who received 40% of the vote, and Manny Ramirez, who earned 38.8% in his final ballot appearance. The induction ceremony in Cooperstown, New York, will take place on July 26. More on both Beltran and Jones here.