Beltrán, Andruw, Kent Inducted into Hall of Fame

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- The 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony took place on a sunny day as it welcomed Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones, and Jeff Kent into its ranks. This trio of legends was honored for their remarkable contributions to the game of baseball.

Beltrán, the third Met and sixth Puerto Rican to be inducted, expressed his joy at having his parents present for the occasion, mentioning the difficulty of their journey from Puerto Rico. “It's very incredible that I have both of my parents here,” he said, noting that around 150 friends and family members joined them for the celebration.

Selected in the second round of the 1995 Draft by the Kansas City Royals, Beltrán made his Major League debut in 1998 and earned the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1999. He reminisced about being introduced as a future Hall of Famer by George Brett, who had also seen the potential in him.

Jones, inducted as the first player from Curaçao, shared his pride in representing his homeland and his experience managing the Netherlands team in the World Baseball Classic. He reflected on playing baseball from a young age, heralding his debut in the World Series at age 19, where he homered in his first two at-bats.

Kent’s election via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee marked the significance of his place in baseball history as the first second baseman inducted since Craig Biggio in 2015.

The stage was filled with a record 60 Hall of Famers, who celebrated the induction of these new members. Among the legends were Sandy Koufax from the class of 1972 and recent inductees CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, and Billy Wagner.

Beltrán’s stellar postseason performance in 2004 played a critical role in his legacy. After a trade to the Astros, he became a key player in several playoff runs, notably hitting eight home runs in 12 postseason games that year. Although he faced scrutiny due to the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, he ultimately garnered 84.2% of the votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 2022.

Following the completion of their careers, all three inductees are now honored among baseball's immortals, solidifying their legacies in Cooperstown.