In a historic vote that saw two of baseball's most debated candidates finally achieve baseball's highest honor, Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on January 20, 2026. The two center fielders, whose careers were marked by both brilliance and controversy, cleared the 75% threshold needed for induction, with Beltran receiving 84.2% of the vote and Jones earning 78.4% from the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Their election ends years of speculation and delivers a definitive statement on how the Hall of Fame weighs on-field excellence against off-field transgressions.
How the 2026 Hall of Fame Class Came Together
With 425 ballots cast, players needed 319 votes to reach the 75% threshold. Carlos Beltran’s 358 votes represented a rapid ascent from his first ballot appearance in 2023, when he received just 46.5% support. Andruw Jones’s 333 votes culminated a nine-year climb from a meager 7.3% debut in 2018 – the lowest initial percentage for any player eventually elected by the BBWAA. Both will join second baseman Jeff Kent, elected in December by the Contemporary Era Committee, in the Class of 2026 during induction ceremonies scheduled for July 26 in Cooperstown, New York.
“There’s no doubt that today my life has really changed,” said Beltran, the sixth native of Puerto Rico to be elected. “Just to be named to the Hall of Fame, what this means to me, to Puerto Rico, to our family, to our projects in Puerto Rico promoting baseball, the Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy… Today I can say I’m a Hall of Famer. I’m excited about that.”
Jones, the first native of Curacao to reach the Hall, offered a more team-oriented perspective: “You don’t play this game to be a Hall of Famer. You play to help your team win a championship. And when you go out there and be consistent and put up numbers and then your name starts popping up [as a candidate], it’s a big honor for me, and it’s a big honor for my family.”
The remarkable coincidence of two players born one day apart in 1977 – Jones on April 23, Beltran on April 24 – receiving their long-awaited calls on the same day adds a poetic layer to an election that many considered overdue for both players.
Timeline: The Road to Cooperstown for Beltran and Jones
Carlos Beltran’s path to the Hall was anything but linear. After debuting with the Kansas City Royals in 1999 and winning AL Rookie of the Year, he established himself as one of baseball’s most complete players – a switch-hitting center fielder with power, speed, and elite defense. His legendary 2004 postseason with the Houston Astros, where he hit .435 with 8 home runs in 12 games, cemented his reputation as a clutch performer. But his final season in 2017 with the World Series-winning Astros would later cast a shadow over his career when MLB’s investigation revealed Beltran as a central figure in the team’s sign-stealing scheme.
Andruw Jones burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old prodigy, hitting two home runs in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series for the Atlanta Braves. Over the next decade, he established himself as perhaps the greatest defensive center fielder in baseball history, winning 10 consecutive Gold Gloves while hitting 434 home runs. But a steep decline in his 30s and a 2012 domestic incident that resulted in a guilty plea and probation complicated his Hall of Fame case, leading to years of ballot stagnation before his recent surge in support.
Beltran’s voting progression tells the story of a candidacy gradually overcoming scandal: 46.5% (2023), 57.1% (2024), 70.3% (2025), and finally 84.2% (2026). Jones’s climb was even more dramatic: 7.3% (2018), 10.5% (2019), 19.4% (2020), 33.9% (2021), 41.4% (2022), 48.3% (2023), 54.8% (2024), 66.2% (2025), and 78.4% (2026).
Why Beltran and Jones Finally Got the Call
The statistical cases for both players ultimately proved too strong to deny. Beltran finished his 20-year career with 435 home runs, 312 stolen bases, 1,582 runs scored, and 1,587 RBIs – one of only 39 players with at least 1,500 runs and RBIs. His 70.0 career WAR ranks eighth among center fielders, and his .307/.412/.609 postseason slash line with 16 home runs in 65 games stands as one of the greatest playoff resumes in history.
“He was Superman,” former Astros teammate Craig Biggio said of Beltran’s 2004 postseason performance. “It was a display of something I’d never seen before.”
Jones’s defensive metrics are legendary. His 24.4 defensive WAR is the highest of any outfielder in MLB history by 5.6 runs, and his 10 Gold Gloves tie him for third-most among outfielders behind only Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays (both with 12). At the plate, his 434 home runs put him in elite company – only Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Mike Schmidt have at least 400 homers and 10 Gold Gloves.
“This guy was the best guy to ever do it out there,” said former Braves teammate Chipper Jones. “In my opinion it’s not arguable. Nobody did it better.”
For Beltran, the sign-stealing scandal that cost him his managerial job with the New York Mets in 2020 clearly delayed his Hall election, but voters eventually separated his on-field accomplishments from his off-field mistakes. “I tried not to overthink about that process,” Beltran said. “But let me tell you, my wife, Jessica, she spent hours of time trying to basically stay in contact with the Hall of Fame Tracker. Every vote that I received, I knew that I received a vote because she would kind of scream.”
Where the Hall of Fame Vote Stands Now
Beyond Beltran and Jones, several other candidates made significant gains in the 2026 voting. Chase Utley jumped from 39.8% to 59.1% in his third year on the ballot, putting the former Phillies second baseman on a potential path to election. Andy Pettitte rose to 48.5% in his eighth year, while Felix Hernandez reached 46.1% in his second year.
Controversial candidates linked to performance-enhancing drugs continued to struggle. Alex Rodriguez received 40% support in his fifth year, while Manny Ramirez earned 38.8% in his 10th and final appearance on the writers’ ballot. The 11 blank ballots submitted were the most since 2011, reflecting ongoing debates about character clauses and Hall of Fame standards.
The election establishes an important precedent for how voters will treat players associated with the Astros sign-stealing scandal. With Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and other members of the 2017 team eventually reaching the ballot, Beltran’s election suggests that outstanding career achievements may ultimately outweigh even significant controversies in the eyes of enough voters.
What Happens Next for the Class of 2026
Induction ceremonies for the Class of 2026 are scheduled for July 26 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York. Beltran, Jones, and Kent will be honored alongside any selections from the Golden Days and Early Baseball Era committees, which will vote later this year.
For Beltran, the induction represents both redemption and validation after years of scrutiny. Since the scandal, he has returned to baseball as a special assistant with the Mets and now achieves the game’s highest individual honor. “I understand that is a story that I have to deal with,” Beltran said of the sign-stealing scandal. “But being back in the game of baseball, I still receive love from the people, from the players.”
For Jones, induction caps a journey from teenage phenom to defensive legend to Hall of Famer. His election also opens the door for other defensive specialists whose offensive numbers might not meet traditional Hall standards but whose overall value to winning teams cannot be denied.
The Bottom Line: Key Points to Remember
• Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 20, 2026, receiving 84.2% and 78.4% of the vote respectively.
• Beltran overcame controversy from his involvement in the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal, while Jones’s election followed a nine-year climb from just 7.3% support in his first year on the ballot.
• Both players will be inducted alongside Jeff Kent during ceremonies on July 26 in Cooperstown, New York.
• Beltran’s career included 435 home runs, 312 stolen bases, and legendary postseason performances, while Jones won 10 Gold Gloves and hit 434 home runs while establishing himself as perhaps the greatest defensive center fielder in history.
• The election sets important precedents for how voters weigh on-field excellence against off-field controversies, particularly for future candidates from the 2017 Astros.
With their election, Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones take their rightful places among baseball’s immortals, their careers forever enshrined in Cooperstown after journeys marked by brilliance, controversy, and ultimately, redemption.
