NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones, who together hit 869 home runs (Beltran hit 435, Jones hit 434), were both elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
In his fourth year of participation, Beltran received 75% of the votes needed to be inducted into Cooperstown, finishing with the highest percentage (84.2%) among possible inductees.
Jones had to wait nine years, but it was worth it. He finished with 78.4% of the vote, which will allow him to enter Cooperstown and not have to sweat out his 10th and final year on the ballot in 2027.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON PK Press Club
Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were both elected to the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. (Robert Deutsch Network/USA TODAY via Imagn Images; Timothy Clary/Getty Images)
New York Mets fans’ primary memory of Beltran is his strikeout to end the 2006 National League Championship Series, but the nine-time All-Star was a consistent force throughout his career. He even competed in the Midsummer Classic in his penultimate season, when he hit .295 with an .850 OPS, 35 home runs and 101 RBIs.
Beltran, a switch hitter, won three Gold Glove Awards while accumulating 2,725 hits, including 435 home runs. He also stole 300 bases in his career, making him one of only eight players in MLB history to make the 300-300 club. Beltran has the fourth most home runs by a switch hitter, behind Mickey Mantle, Eddie Murray and Chipper Jones.
He is also one of 39 players to have scored at least 1,500 points. Thirty-two of these players, including Beltran, are inducted into the Hall of Fame – the other seven who are not are either linked to performance-enhancing drugs (Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Rafael Palmeiro, Gary Sheffield, Manny Ramirez) or are not yet eligible for the Hall of Fame (Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera). In 65 playoff games, he hit .307 with a 1.021 OPS. Beltran spent seven seasons with the Mets and Royals and posted nearly identical statistics, so it remains to be seen which hat he will wear on his plate.
While the numbers scream Hall of Famer, it became clear that voters were giving him a self-imposed punishment for his involvement in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. Beltran, who won his only World Series with that tainted Houston team in his final MLB season, was considered the mastermind of the project, costing him his job as manager of the New York Mets in 2020 before managing a game. Beltran was the only player on the team directly named by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred when announcing sanctions against the organization.
Carlos Beltran of the Houston Astros takes the field during player introductions before Game 3 of the 2017 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Minute Maid Park on Friday, October 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images)
METS AGREE TO DEAL WITH ALL-STAR BO BICHETTE AFTER MISSING KYLE TUCKER: REPORTS
As for Jones, the Curacao native is one of four players with 400 home runs and 10 Gold Glove Awards, along with Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Schmidt. Jones led the majors with 51 home runs in 2005, finishing just shy of the MVP award given to Albert Pujols.
A five-time All-Star, the outfielder spent 12 of his 17 MLB seasons with the Atlanta Braves and appeared in 76 playoff games.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Andruw Jones makes a diving catch against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 16, 2005. (Tom DiPace/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
The duo, along with Jeff Kent, will be officially inducted into Cooperstown in July. Kent was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December.
