2026 MLB Hall of Fame Class Reveal

On Sunday, July 26, 2026, three new names will be etched in baseball history in Cooperstown, New York. Tuesday night, National Baseball Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch announced that outfielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones will join Contemporary Baseball Era Committee electee Jeff Kent in the 2026 MLB Hall of Fame Class. 

Carlos Beltran

Career Statistics: BA: .279 | OBP: .350 | SLG: .486 | OPS: .837 | H: 2,725 | HR: 435 

Career Accolades: 1x World Series Champ: 2017; 9x All-Star: 2004-2007, 2009, 2011-2013, 2016; 3x Golden Glove: 2006-2008; 2x Silver Slugger: 2006-2007; 1999 AL Rookie of the Year

Interesting Fact: Beltran is one of five players in MLB history to have over 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases.

Carlos Beltran got the call in his fourth year on the ballot. The Manati, Puerto Rico native played 20 major league seasons with 7 teams. 

Beltran was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 2nd round of the 1995 MLB Draft. Beltran shot through the minors, only taking two full seasons to make it to the show. He would make his major league debut in 1998.

In 1999, Beltran played his first full major season and announced his presence immediately. The 22-year-old would slash .293/.337/.454 with 22 home runs and 108 RBI. Beltran would spend his first seven seasons in Kansas City, before getting traded to the Houston Astros in June 2004.

As an Astro, Beltran would help a team that was 3 games over .500 at the time of the acquisition (38-35), improve to 22 games (92-70) by the end of the season. In 2004, Beltran put on a postseason performance for the ages. Beltran would finish slashing .435/.536/1.022 with 8 home runs and a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts.

In 2005, Beltran signed with the New York Mets. Queens, New York would be his home for the next 6 1⁄2 seasons. In his tenure as a Met, Beltran would receive 4 All-Star selections, 3 Gold Glove Awards, and 2 Silver Slugger Awards. 

In Beltran’s last six seasons, his services would be split between four teams. In that span, he would make 3 more All-Star appearances, and cap off his career controversially for his role in the Astros World Series scandal.

Beltran finished his career as an epitome of a five-tool player. Beltran is one of four players to amass at least 2,700 hits, 400 home runs, 1,500 runs, and 300 stolen bases in a career. 

Andruw Jones 

Career Statistics: BA: .254 | OBP: .337 | SLG: .486 | OPS: .823 | H: 1,933| HR: 434

Career Accolades: 5x All-Star: 2000, 2002-2003, 2005-2006; 10x Golden Glove: 1998-2007, 1x Silver Slugger: 2005

Interesting Fact: Jones becomes the first native of the Island of Curacao to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Andruw Jones got the call in his ninth year on the ballot. The Wilemstad, Curacao native played 17 MLB seasons with 5 teams.

Andruw Jones was signed as an international free agent at the age of 16. Scouts were impressed by the power, speed combo that Jones possessed at such a young age. 

Quickly, Jones became the top prospect in baseball after averaging a slash of .308/.397/.582 with nearly 30 home runs and 43 stolen bases in his first two minor league seasons.

Jones would make his big league debut on August 15, 1996. The 19-year-old would struggle in his first taste of the big leagues, only batting .217 in 106 at-bats, but he still made the Braves postseason roster because of his stellar defense and athleticism. 

Once the Braves got to the postseason, Jones flipped the switch offensively. Jones would slash .345/.486/.690 with 3 home runs, including two historic home runs in Game 1 of the 1996 World Series. Jones would homer in his first two at-bats, becoming the youngest player to hit a home run in a World Series Game.

After an impressive postseason, the Braves knew who would be their center fielder for the future. Jones would call Atlanta home for the next eleven seasons, and would establish himself as an elite power-hitting and fielding outfielder in his tenure with the Braves. 

Jones would win 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards (1998-2007). He would also sprinkle in 5 All-Star appearances, and win a Silver Slugger Award in 2005.

In 2005, Jones had a career year. He would slash .263/.347/.575 with a career-high 51 home runs and .922 OPS. He also finished second in NL MVP voting.

In 2008, Jones signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers with a legit chance to compete for a World Series title. He would join his fellow Hall of Fame class member, Jeff Kent, on a Dodger team looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2007 season, where they missed the playoffs. But unfortunately, Jones was bit by the injury bug after leaving Atlanta.

Jones would suffer a torn cartilage in his right knee, which required surgery. He would never recover from that injury, as Jones dealt with knee problems for the rest of his major league career. A player that relied so much on athletic ability had his most important tools stripped away from him, his knees. 

Jones' last five years in the MLB were riddled with injuries, as he was often seen on the injured list, but this did not take away from the career he had. When healthy, Jones was one of the best in the game. Jones was one of four players to have at least 400 home runs and 10 Gold Glove Awards in a career.

Jeff Kent 

Career Statistics: BA: .290 | OBP: .356 | SLG: .500 | OPS: .855 | H: 2,461 | HR: 377

Career Accolades: 1x NL MVP: 2000; 5x All-Star: 1999-2001, 2004-2005; 4x Silver Slugger: 2000-2002, 2005

Interesting Fact: Kent has hit the most career home runs by a second baseman, with 354 home runs.

Jeff Kent gets the honorary Contemporary Baseball Era Committee selection to join the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Bellflower, California native played 17 seasons with 6 teams. 

Jeff Kent was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 20th round of the 1989 MLB Draft out of the University of California, Berkeley. 

Through Kent’s first four seasons in the big leagues, he was known as a solid middle of the lineup bat that could provide some pop. But when Kent returned to his home state of California, that is when his career turned around. 

Kent would sign with the San Francisco Giants, forming a dynamic power-hitting duo with Barry Bonds. In Kent’s first season as a Giant, he hit 29 home runs (a career-high at the time). Kent’s time in the Bay Area resulted in a power surge, as he averaged nearly 30 home runs per season across six seasons. 

He also racked up some hardware for the first time in his career. As a Giant, Kent was a 3x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, and took home NL MVP honors in 2000. In 2000, Kent played the best ball of his career, slashing .334/.424/.596 with 33 home runs and a career-high 1.021 OPS.

In the 2002 offseason, Kent signed with the Houston Astros. In 2003, he was selected to his 4th All-Star Game. Kent would contribute to a 55.25 winning percentage in his two seasons as an Astro (179-145) and a surprise NLCS appearance in 2004. 

In 2005, Kent would return to California to finish his career as a Dodger. In his age 37 season, Kent would hit 29 home runs, notching his ninth straight season over 20+ home runs. He would also be selected to his fifth All-Star Game, and receive his fourth silver slugger award. 

Kent broke the stereotype of a typical second baseman at the time. Second basemen were primarily known for their defensive ability. Kent established himself as a legit power threat in the second half of his career. Kent still holds the record for most home runs by a second baseman (353), and his second in extra base hits (910).

Thank you for reading!

Elias Meredith (@EAM_55)