Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were voted to join the illustrious group of baseball players enshrined in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday night.
Despite both players having issues with the Hall of Fame’s infamous character clause, Beltran with the 2017 Astros cheating scandal and Jones with an arrest for domestic violence, the two players passed the 75% voting threshold after many previous tries.
If not for the sign stealing scandal of 2017, Beltran would be a shoo-in first ballot Hall of Famer.
The native of Puerto Rico was a 9-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner and a 2-time Silver Slugger, along with winning the 1999 Rookie of the Year award. Beltran hit 435 home runs over 20 seasons of play, highlighted by his 2006 season where he hit 41 en route to a fourth-place finish in the NL MVP voting.
Beltran also had one of the greatest postseason performances ever in 2004. In 12 playoff games for the Astros that year, Beltran hit eight home runs, including a home run in five straight games capped off with a walk-off homer against the Cardinals in the NLCS. He nearly willed Houston to the World Series behind his legendary performance. Now, he will forever be remembered in Cooperstown.
Debuting at 19 years-old, Jones made an instant impact in the postseason. In Game 1 of the 1996 World Series, the youngster launched two home runs, making him the youngest player to ever hit a home run in World Series history. That was just the beginning of a legendary career in an Atlanta Brave uniform.
Jones had one of the greatest peaks ever, making five All-Star appearances and winning 10 consecutive Gold Gloves as a centerfielder. Alongside the outstanding defense, Jones belted 368 home runs during his time in Atlanta, accumulating 61 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) as a Brave.
Once he departed from Atlanta, his production declined, causing him to wait for his election until year nine on the ballot. Nevertheless, the Curacaoan born Jones will be the first of his country to be elected to Cooperstown.
Chase Utley continues to make huge leaps on the ballot. In year three, Utley finished with 59.1% of the vote, up from his leap to 39.8% last year. As more room is made available on the ballot, Utley’s chance continues to grow. He could creep around the 75% threshold in year four on the ballot. Meanwhile, his middle infield counterpart from Philadelphia, Jimmy Rollins continues to struggle with votes, earning only 25.4% in his fifth year of eligibility.
Andy Pettitte continues to see his votes grow, gaining 20% in year eight. Pettitte was stuck in the mud for years before seeing huge growths in the past two. The 5-time World Series champion previously admitted to taking HGH, a banned substance in the MLB. This has not deterred recent voters, making his case a very interesting one to follow the next two years.
Felix Hernandez made the biggest jump ever recorded on a Hall of Fame ballot since the Baseball Writers Association of America was founded in 1967. Debuting at 20.6% last year, King Felix is sitting comfortably at 46.1% in his sophomore year on the ballot. The 2010 Cy Young winner is the beneficiary of changing standards for pitchers making the Hall of Fame, expect even more growth next year.
The pair of Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez continue to plateau in PED no man’s land, with Ramirez officially being removed from the ballot after 10 years of eligibility. Rodriguez climbed to 40% in his fifth year on the ballot, a slight increase from 37.1% last year. Ramirez, who failed two drug tests after MLB’s strict stance on drugs, never reached 40% in any of his 10 years on the ballot.
Dustin Pedroia and Mark Buehrle saw their votes nearly double, both sitting around 20%. Pedroia has 8 years left on the ballot while Buehrle only has 4. Utley getting elected soon would open more votes for fellow second basemen Pedroia. The southpaw Buehrle will also be competing with the pitchers ahead of him for votes.
Cole Hamels remains on the ballot for 2027, debuting at 23.8%. The 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP was dominant with the Phillies and for a few years as a Texas Ranger. The California native will continue to battle with Hernandez, Buehrle and Pettitte for votes next year.
The rest of Hamels’ newcoming class failed to reach the 5% threshold and will not return to the ballot in 2027. Ryan Braun, Edwin Encarnacion, Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Kemp, Hunter Pence, Rick Porcello, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis, Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick and Daniel Murphy all had unbelievable careers, but were not deemed worthy of a spot in Cooperstown.
Coming off the election of Joe Mauer in 2024, Buster Posey will join the ballot in 2027 with a chance of being a first ballot Hall of Famer. Mauer’s election changed the way voters look at catchers from a statistical standpoint. Posey did not have a long career thanks to injuries but changed the game in many ways as one of the best catchers of the 2010s.
Jon Lester will also be a newcomer on the ballot next year. The 3-time World Series champion will join the fray of pitchers looking for votes on the ballot in 2027.
Next year’s election, much like this year’s, will show the magic of Hall of Fame voting that only baseball can bring.