The 2026 Hall of Fame class will have three members.
Outfielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. They will join second baseman Jeff Kent as they will be enshrined on July 26.
Hall of Fame opens doors to Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones
Beltran received 84.2% of the vote in his fourth year on the ballot. One of the best all-around players of his generation, Beltran was a nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. The 1999 AL Rookie of the Year finished his career with a .279/.350/.486 batting line in his 11,031 plate appearances, hitting 435 homers and 565 doubles while stealing 312 bases. He is one of just eight players in MLB history to have at least 300 career homers and 300 career steals.
While Beltran had the production and accolades worthy of enshrinement, his induction may have been delayed due to his part in the Astros sign-stealing scandal. His Hall of Fame case was tainted by that scandal as he was considered one of the ringleaders.
One of the best defensive center fielders in MLB history, Jones received 78.4% of the vote in his ninth year on the ballot. He was a five-time All-Star and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves. Although his career fell apart after turning 30 years old, Jones produced a solid .254/.337/.486 batting line in his 8,664 plate appearances, hitting 434 homers and 383 doubles while stealing 152 bases. He becomes the first player since Ralph Kiner in 1975 to be elected by the BBWAA despite having fewer than 2,000 career hits.
Jones’ story does not end with his bat. He was one of the best defensive players, and arguably the best defensive outfielder, in MLB history. He ranks second all-time with 253 runs saved defensively, trailing only Orioles legend Brooks Robinson (293 runs saved). His 230 runs saved in center are not only the most in MLB history, but he is the only player with over 180 runs saved in center field.
Second baseman Chase Utley (59.1% in his third year) was the only other player named on more than half the ballots. Pitchers Andy Pettitte (48.5%) and Felix Hernandez (46.1%) rounded out the top five. Pitcher Cole Hamels (23.8%) was the only first year player on the ballot to receive more than 5% of the vote. Outfielder Manny Ramirez received 38.8% of the vote in his 10th and final year on the ballot.