The National Baseball Hall of Fame has two new members.
Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones got their calls on Tuesday after both eclipsed the 75% threshold required from a ballot of Baseball Writers’ Association of America voters. As expected, it was an emotional day for both.
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Beltrán shared the moment he got the call from Cooperstown as he was surrounded by friends and family. BBWAA member Jack O’Connell informed Beltrán of his election on speaker phone, prompting a celebratory roar from Beltrán’s supporters.
Jones, apparently, wasn’t informed of his election via a call from the Hall — not initially, at least. Jones appeared to learn the good news alongside the rest of the viewers on MLB Network, which broke the news.
He did so while surrounded by fellow former big leaguers at a golf tournament in the Dominican Republic.
Both players were on the receiving end of congratulations from their former teams and teammates. Braves chairman Terry McGuirk released a statement lauding Jones as “one of the most dominant centerfielders of his generation.”
The official Braves social media account took it a step further, declaring Jones as “the greatest centerfield of all time.”
Chipper Jones on Andruw Jones: ‘Nobody did it better’
Jones’ former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Chipper Jones agrees and declared Jones as the best defensive outfielder of all time. He doesn’t understand why it took Jones nine ballots to get his call.
“This guy was the best guy to ever do it out there,” Chipper said. “You could say arguably. In my opinion it’s not arguably. He’s the best that’s ever done.
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“To boot, 400 homers and 1,300 RBI. That’s not nothing. Maybe Willie [Mays]. Maybe peak [Ken] Griffey [Jr.], you know, for a period of time. But nobody did it better, nobody did it better out there.”
Beltrán’s former teammates weigh in
Beltrán’s former Houston Astros teammate, Jeff Kent, was elected to the Hall in December via a vote of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. He’ll join Beltrán and Jones in the 2026 induction ceremony. Kent issued a message congratulating Beltrán on his election.
“I want to send my congratulations on being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame class,” Kent wrote. “I’m proud of you. I know your family is proud of you, and I can’t wait until you and I meet up again in Cooperstown where we’ll be inducted into the most prestigious class in all of sports — the Baseball Hall of Fame.
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“Good luck my brother. I look forward to seeing you in July.”
Beltrán’s former teammate with the New York Mets, David Wright, also issued his regards in a statement.
“What an amazing accomplishment and well deserved,” Wright wrote. … “When I think of five-tool players, you are on of the first faces that come to mind. And to top it off with your work ethic.
“I was able to witness firsthand your dedication and willingness to improve even though you were at the top of your game. Thank you for those lessons that stuck with me my entire career.”
Teams celebrate their former players
Beltrán and Jones each played for the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. Both teams issued their congratulations to their former players Tuesday night.
As did other teams that Beltrán played for:
