The Baseball Hall of Fame will welcome three new members on July 26, 2026, when Carlos Beltran, Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent are inducted, according to ESPN.
Carlos Beltran announced himself to many fans during the Houston Astros’ 2004 playoff run, hitting .435 with eight home runs and six stolen bases in 12 games, a stretch teammate Craig Biggio called “Superman,” according to ESPN. Beltran finished his career with 435 home runs, more than 1,500 RBIs and more than 1,500 runs scored, and joined a small group of players with at least 300 home runs and 300 steals. ESPN notes he owns the highest career stolen-base success rate (86.4%) among players with at least 200 attempts, won three Gold Gloves, led his league four times in assists and was a nine-time All-Star.
Beltran’s postseason resume was a key component of his case. In 65 career postseason games he hit .307/.412/.609 with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs, and, among players with at least 200 postseason plate appearances, he is the only one with an OPS above 1.000, according to ESPN. The story also recalls Beltran’s seven-year, $119 million contract with the New York Mets before 2005 and the lasting image of his called strike three to end Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS.
Andruw Jones first drew notice as a 19-year-old when he hit two home runs in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series for the Atlanta Braves, according to ESPN. Jones finished with 434 career home runs and made his biggest mark with his defense, winning 10 consecutive Gold Gloves and garnering praise as perhaps the best defensive center fielder ever. He, like Beltran, is now a Hall of Famer.
Beltran and Jones are the fourth and fifth primary center fielders who began their careers after 1960 to reach the Hall, joining Andre Dawson, Kirby Puckett and Ken Griffey Jr., according to ESPN. Jeff Kent, elected by the Hall’s contemporary baseball era committee last December, will also be inducted; he holds the record for most home runs by a second baseman and won the National League MVP award in 2000, according to ESPN.
