Five-tool center fielders Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Beltrán was chosen in his fourth year on the ballot. He appeared on 84.2% of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWWA) ballots, well above the 75% needed for election. Jones earned 78.4% of the vote, just enough to get in, during his ninth and next-to-last year of eligibility. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to be held in Cooperstown on July 26. The duo will be joined by second baseman Jeff Kent, who was elected to the Hall of Fame last month by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.
Beltrán, who received 358 votes out of 425 total ballots, was a nine-time All-Star and had a long, successful career that lasted 20 years. He hit 435 home runs and stole 312 bases. His career ended on a high note when he won the 2017 World Series with the Houston Astros. Jones, who was named on 333 ballots, became a star at a very young age, hitting home runs in his first two World Series at-bats when he was just 19 years old. Over 17 seasons, he hit 434 home runs and stole 152 bases. He was also one of the best defensive players of his era, winning 10 Gold Glove awards in a row. Jones was named on 333 ballots.
Beltrán becomes the fifth Puerto Rico–born player elected to the Hall of Fame, while Jones will be the first from Curaçao. Beltrán, 48, began his MLB career with the Kansas City Royals and won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1999. In June 2004, during his seventh season, the switch-hitter was traded to the Houston Astros and delivered one of his finest years, hitting 38 home runs, stealing 42 bases, scoring 121 runs, driving in 104 RBIs, and helping Houston reach the NLCS. According to ESPN, Jones made an instant impact in 1996, hitting two home runs in Game 1 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium as a 19-year-old with the Atlanta Braves.
Manny Ramirez, who was suspended for PED use, received just 38.8% of the vote in his 10th and final year on the BBWAA ballot. According to Yahoo, as the all-time postseason home run leader, Ramirez's only remaining path to the Hall of Fame is through the Contemporary Era Committee, which has shown even less support for steroid-linked players.
Candidates can stay on the BBWAA ballot for up to 10 years as long as they appear on at least five percent of the ballots, which meant 22 votes this year. As per BBWWA, 13 players from this year’s ballot will return in 2027, including one of the 12 first-time candidates, pitcher Cole Hamels, who received 101 votes (23.8%).
According to BBWWA, the Hall of Fame now includes 354 elected members, with 281 players overall and 144 chosen through the ballot. In the 2026 election, the average ballot listed 5.77 players, down from 6.77 last year. Voters using all 10 spots dropped to 20.9% from 24.9%. A total of 99.3% of the 428 mailed ballots were returned, and the 11 blank ballots marked the most since a record 14 were submitted in 2021.
Beltrán, who received 358 votes out of 425 total ballots, was a nine-time All-Star and had a long, successful career that lasted 20 years. He hit 435 home runs and stole 312 bases. His career ended on a high note when he won the 2017 World Series with the Houston Astros. Jones, who was named on 333 ballots, became a star at a very young age, hitting home runs in his first two World Series at-bats when he was just 19 years old. Over 17 seasons, he hit 434 home runs and stole 152 bases. He was also one of the best defensive players of his era, winning 10 Gold Glove awards in a row. Jones was named on 333 ballots.
Beltrán becomes the fifth Puerto Rico–born player elected to the Hall of Fame, while Jones will be the first from Curaçao. Beltrán, 48, began his MLB career with the Kansas City Royals and won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1999. In June 2004, during his seventh season, the switch-hitter was traded to the Houston Astros and delivered one of his finest years, hitting 38 home runs, stealing 42 bases, scoring 121 runs, driving in 104 RBIs, and helping Houston reach the NLCS. According to ESPN, Jones made an instant impact in 1996, hitting two home runs in Game 1 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium as a 19-year-old with the Atlanta Braves.
Manny Ramirez, who was suspended for PED use, received just 38.8% of the vote in his 10th and final year on the BBWAA ballot. According to Yahoo, as the all-time postseason home run leader, Ramirez's only remaining path to the Hall of Fame is through the Contemporary Era Committee, which has shown even less support for steroid-linked players.
Candidates can stay on the BBWAA ballot for up to 10 years as long as they appear on at least five percent of the ballots, which meant 22 votes this year. As per BBWWA, 13 players from this year’s ballot will return in 2027, including one of the 12 first-time candidates, pitcher Cole Hamels, who received 101 votes (23.8%).
According to BBWWA, the Hall of Fame now includes 354 elected members, with 281 players overall and 144 chosen through the ballot. In the 2026 election, the average ballot listed 5.77 players, down from 6.77 last year. Voters using all 10 spots dropped to 20.9% from 24.9%. A total of 99.3% of the 428 mailed ballots were returned, and the 11 blank ballots marked the most since a record 14 were submitted in 2021.
