Baseball Hall of Fame Results Revealed
Ahead of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s 90th anniversary, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) has spoken again. This year, they have elected Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones to join Jeff Kent, this year’s inductee via the Era’s Committee, to enter Cooperstown this year in July.
Beltran, on his fourth ballot, is among the greatest switch hitters to ever play the game. A second round draft pick in 1995 by the Kansas City Royals out of Fernando Callejo High School in Manati, Puerto Rico, Beltran played in 20 MLB seasons (1998–2017). Beltran was the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year and made the All-Star Game nine times (2004–2007, 2009, 2011, 2012–2013, 2016) and was a two-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove Award winner. Beltran also won the 2013 Roberto Clemente Award winner, which recognizes a player’s charitable work. Beltran may have been first ballot if it weren’t for the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal, which he was a ringleader of. Beltran will wear a New York Mets cap in the Hall of Fame, a team he played for from 2005–2011.
Jones, on his ninth ballot, signed out of Curacao in 1993 by the Atlanta Braves, a team he was a part of until 2007, and was a five-time All-Star with the team (2000, 2002–2003, 2005–2006). Jones will go down as perhaps the greatest defender of his era as Jones was a ten-time Gold Glove Award winner over a 17-season career (1996–2012). Jones also won a Silver Slugger in 2005 when he finished second in MVP voting. Jones is the first Hall of Famer from Curacao and will wear a Braves cap on his plaque.
They are joined by Kent, a 20th round draft pick out of the University of California, Berkley, in 1989 by the Toronto Blue Jays, who was a 17-season veteran (1992–2008). Kent was the 2000 National League MVP with the Giants who won four Silver Sluggers and also made five All-Star games (1999–2001, 2004–2005). The Hall of Fame ceremony is July 26, 2026.
