Cooperstown is gaining two outfielders.
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026, it was announced on Tuesday.
Beltran was a nine-time All-Star and one of the greatest hitters of his generation. He logged 2,725 hits, 435 home runs and 312 stolen bases over his 20-year career. Beltran capped off his 20-year career by winning his first and only World Series title during his second stint with the Houston Astros in 2017. Beltran also played for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.
Beltrán, making his fourth appearance on the ballot, received 358 of 425 votes for 84.2% from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, 39 above the 319 needed for the 75% threshold. Beltrán moved up steadily from 46.5% in 2023 to 57.1% the following year and 70.3% in 2025, when he fell 19 votes short as Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.
Jones, meanwhile, was a five-time All-Star in his 17-year career. He was a key piece to the Atlanta Braves teams that won 11 straight NL East titles from 1995 to 2006, helping them win the National League pennant twice during his tenure with the team. Jones was also regarded as one of the game’s top outfielders, winning 10 straight Gold Glove Awards (1998-2007). Jones, who hit .254 with 434 home runs and 152 home runs in his career, also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Rangers, Chicago White Sox and Yankees.
Jones, in the ninth of 10 possible appearances, was picked on 333 ballots for 78.4% of the vote. Jones received just 7.3% in his first appearance in 2018 and didn’t get half the total until receiving 58.1% in 2023. He increased to 61.6% and 66.2%, falling 35 votes short last year.
They will be inducted at Cooperstown, New York, on July 26 along with second baseman Jeff Kent, voted in last month by the contemporary era committee.
BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years in the organization were eligible to vote.
Chase Utley (59.1%) was the only other candidate to get at least half the vote, improving from 39.8% last year. He was followed by Andy Pettitte at 48.5%, an increase from 27.9% last year, and Félix Hernández at 46.1%, up from 20.6%.
Cole Hamels topped first-time candidates at 23.8%. The other first-time players were all under 5% and will be dropped from future votes.
Steroids-tainted players again were kept from the hall. Alex Rodriguez received 40% in his fifth appearance, up from 7.1%, and Manny Ramirez 38.8% in his 10th and final appearance.
David Wright increased to 14.8% from 8.1%.
There were 11 blank ballots.
Beltrán was the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year and won three Gold Gloves, also hitting .307 in the postseason with 16 homers and 42 RBIs in 65 games.
Jones’ batting average is the second-lowest for a position player voted to the Hall of Fame, just above the .253 of Ray Schalk, a superior defensive catcher, and just below the .256 of Harmon Killebrew, who hit 573 homers.
A five-time All-Star, Jones earned 10 Gold Gloves. He joins Braves teammates Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Chipper Jones in the hall along with manager Bobby Cox.
In the 1996 World Series opener at Yankee Stadium, Jones at 19 years, 5 months, became the youngest player to homer in a Series game, beating Mickey Mantle’s old mark by 18 months. Going deep against Pettitte in the second inning and Brian Boehringer in the third of a 12-1 rout, Jones became the second player to homer in his first two Series at-bats after Gene Tenace in 1972.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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