Center fielders Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltran elected to 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame

Longtime Atlanta Brave — and one-time White Sox player — Andruw Jones, and Carlos Beltran have been elected in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Beltran was chosen on 84.2% of the ballots and Jones 78.4%.

Jones was regarded as one of the best defensive center fielders of all time. The election of both Jones and Beltran end a drought of center fielders being elected to the Hall of Fame.

Since 1981, just two center fielders had been elected into the Hall of Fame (Ken Griffey Jr. and Kirby Puckett). Center field is one of the most athletic positions on the baseball field. It requires an athlete who can cover incredible distance and withstanding constant wear and tear.

Jones has a career WAR of 62.7, 10 Gold Gloves and was a five-time All-Star. He made history in 1996, when he became the youngest player to hit homer in a World Series game.

It was surprising that Jones had to wait his turn to get elected. He'd been on the ballot for nine years.

Beltran's candidacy had been trickier because of his role in the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal. He was fired as manager of the Mets because of his role in the scandal.