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Now that Mets legend Carlos Beltran was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday, the next decision is which cap he plans to don on his plaque.

Beltran played for seven different teams through his 20-year career, but the switch-hitting slugger pinpointed the Mets and the Royals as the two teams he must choose between.

“There’s no doubt there are two teams: the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets,” Beltran said in an interview with MLB Network. “That’s a decision that I would love to sit down with my wife, kids and make that decision. I do really enjoy my time in New York. Now I work as an advisor for the Mets, so there’s a lot of weight wearing the New York cap.”

Beltran was drafted by the Royals in the 1995 draft and spent parts of the first seven seasons in Kansas City, winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1999. During that time, Beltran amassed a .287 batting average, 123 home runs, and 516 RBI, while stealing 164 bases and earning one All-Star selection.

If Beltran is inducted as a Royal, he'll be just the second in franchise history (George Brett). 

The 48-year-old said he enjoyed his time in Kansas City and envisioned being there his whole career, but that wasn’t to be.

He was traded to the Astros during the 2004 season and helped Houston make a deep run with one of the best postseason performances in MLB history.

That offseason, Beltran signed with the Mets on a seven-year, $119 million deal, where he had his best years as a pro.

From 2005-2011, Beltran hit 149 home runs, drove in 559 RBI -- both career highs with any team -- and stole 100 bases while hitting .280 across 839 games. He made five All-Star appearances as a Met while winning three Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards.

But New York’s ties to Beltran go further than his playing career.

The Mets actually hired Beltran to manage the team in November 2019, but reversed the decision a couple of months later after the slugger was suspended due to his role in the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.

New York brought Beltran back in February 2023, hiring him as a special assistant to president of baseball operations David Stearns.

Beltran was asked the cap question again in a Zoom call with assembled media, and the newly-minted Hall of Famer reiterated many of the same points. He’ll take time to decide with his family and even consult the Hall of Fame on how the process works.

But echoed how much the Mets meant to his career.

“The Mets are a big part of my identity as a player,” Beltran said. “Almost seven years in that organization, I got there with a big contract and to be able to stay with the team as an advisor… there’s no doubt the Mets have a lot of weight in that decision.”

If he is inducted as a Met, Beltran will join Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.

Beltran will receive his plaque in Cooperstown on July 26.

A pair of very good baseball players earned election to the sport’s Hall of Fame Jan. 20, when Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones became just the seventh and eighth center fielders to win a spot in Cooperstown.

While neither are generational and the lone title won by either man in their collective 37 seasons was Beltrán’s 2017 title when he was a part-time 40-year-old DH and full-time illegal sign-stealing mastermind for the Houston Astros, their July inductions will be proof that gains can be made and early deficits overcome in voting.

Perhaps that will offer solace to those lurking a little further down the 2026 ballot. With that, a look at the winners and losers from 2026 Hall of Fame balloting:

Winners

Carlos Beltrán

Any notion that his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal might ding his Hall candidacy was ludicrous, given the widespread Wild West atmosphere of high-tech cheating across the major leagues at that time.

No, Beltrán got in on his fourth try, a nice reward for a guy who broke in playing for some overmatched Kansas City Royals teams and finished it as a highly productive veteran bat in places like New York, St. Louis and Texas. Hopefully the Hall call will reopen the door to the manager’s office for a great baseball mind (and yes, one of its elite sign-stealers, legal or otherwise).

Andruw Jones

Proof that professional life can end at 30 and everything turns out all right.

A phenom in the truest sense of the word, Jones remains the lone two-time winner of USA TODAY Sports’ Minor League Player of the Year Award. At first glance, it might seem like the kind of honor you wouldn’t want to win twice, like a return invite to the Futures Game. Then you realize he was 18 and 19 years old when he got those nods, then hit two World Series Game 1 home runs in the latter year, and it makes a lot more sense.

He never really lost that glow throughout his 20s, but after an anomalous 51-homer year in 2005, it all went south for the lad, as he drifted from Atlanta to Los Angeles (the Dodgers eating the second year of his contract) to Texas, the White Sox and finally the Yankees, and he was out of the game by 35.

Perhaps that bad taste in the mouth lingered early on for voters as he was named on just 7.3% of ballots in his first year, narrowly clearing the 5% necessary to stick around. Eventually, the vision of the otherworldly kid prevailed in voters’ minds.

The Brewers announced two Hall of Famers, CC Sabathia and Dave Parker, will join the team’s Wall of Honor this season after both were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame last year.

Sabathia, 45, pitched for Milwaukee for only 17 games down the stretch in 2008, but a memorable tenure it was.

Over those 17 games, Sabathia went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA, 2.44 FIP, and 128 strikeouts across 130 2/3 innings, accumulating 4.9 bWAR as he tossed a league-best seven complete games, including three shutouts. He even finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting and sixth in NL MVP voting despite only playing in the league for roughly half the season.

Parker, who passed away last summer just before his induction into the Hall, played for the Brewers for just one season toward the tail end of his career. In 1990 with Milwaukee, Parker appeared in 157 games, hitting a solid .289/.330/.451 with 21 homers, 92 RBIs, 71 runs, and four steals. He was named an All-Star for the seventh and final time while also picking up his third Silver Slugger and earning MLB’s Designated Hitter of the Year award. He then finished his career in 1991, splitting the year between the Angels and Blue Jays.

Both players will be honored on Friday, May 8 prior to the Brewers’ game against the New York Yankees. The event will include appearances from both Sabathia and Parker family members, including ceremonial first pitches and videos on the scoreboard.

Per the Brewers’ press release, “[T]he Brewers Wall of Honor is a distinction awarded to players, coaches, and executives who meet a set of criteria based on service to the organization and career accomplishments. Sabathia and Parker will join the permanent exhibit with a bronze plaque affixed to the exterior of the ballpark commemorating their contributions to the franchise.”

To view the full list of players, coaches, and executives included on the Brewers Wall of Honor, click here.

Centerfielders Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America, it was announced today.

This was Beltran’s fourth year on the ballot, and he received 358 votes out of 425 ballots cast, giving him 84.2%, comfortably above the 75% threshold required for election. Jones, in his ninth year on the ballot, got 78.4% of the vote, with 333 total votes.

The only other candidate to receive over 50% of the vote was second baseman Chase Utley, who received 59.1% of the vote in his third year on the ballot. Andy Pettitte received 48.5% in his eighth year on the ballot. Felix Hernandez, in his second year on the ballot, had the largest year-over-year jump in BBWAA voting history, going from 20.6% last year to 46.1% this year. Alex Rodriguez received 40% of the vote in this, his fifth year on the ballot. This was Manny Ramirez’s tenth and final year on the ballot, and he received 38.8% of the vote.

Beltran and Jones each had brief stints with the Rangers, and are the 10th and 11th players to have played for the Rangers and be elected to the Hall.

The only newcomer to this year’s ballot to get more than 5% of the vote was Cole Hamels, who received 23.8%.

The other former Rangers on the ballot were Omar Vizquel, who got 18.4% of the vote in his 9th year on the ballot, and one-and-dones Edwin Encarnacion (6 votes), Shin-Soo Choo (3 votes), and Hunter Pence (2 votes).

Congratulations to Beltran and Jones, who are both very worthy selections. Hopefully, Chase Utley, another guy who should have already have been voted in, will join them next year.

You can see the full results here.

Former outfielders Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones have been elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class, as both players reached the 75% threshold for induction as voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA).

The duo will join second baseman Jeff Kent in the 2026 class, as Kent was selected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee back in December.

Both Beltrán and Jones finished just shy of making the Hall a year ago, as Beltrán received 70.3% of the vote and Jones hit 66.2%. Beltrán, now in his fourth year on the ballot, received 84.2% of the 425 ballots cast, while Jones, in his ninth year on the ballot, reached 78.4%.

Beltrán, 48, seemed like a first-ballot lock near the end of his career, but after he reportedly took a key role in the 2017 Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, he lost his managerial job with the Mets before coaching a game, and his reputation was tarnished.

Still, Beltrán finished his career with 70.0 bWAR, batting .279/.350/.486 with 435 homers, 2,725 hits, 1,587 RBIs, 1,582 runs, and 312 steals over 2,586 games during his 20-year career. He was also named AL Rookie of the Year with the Royals in 1999, and he was selected as an All-Star nine times, won a pair of Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves.

Jones, also 48, had a slightly shorter career than Beltrán, playing 17 seasons from 1996 to 2012, though he still accumulated 62.7 bWAR. One of the greatest outfield gloves in baseball history, Jones won 10 Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger, and was named an All-Star five times. For his career, he hit .254/.337/.486 with 434 homers, 2,196 hits, 1,289 RBIs, 1,204 runs, and 152 steals over 2,196 games.

Beltrán will likely enter the Hall as either a Kansas City Royal or a New York Met. He spent seven years with both clubs, starting his career in Kansas City and accumulating 24.8 bWAR there before spending 2005-2011 in New York, totaling 31.1 bWAR with the Mets. Jones will almost certainly go in as an Atlanta Brave, having spent 12 of his 17 MLB seasons in Atlanta and totaling 61.0 of his 62.7 bWAR with the Braves.

Beyond Beltrán and Jones, the only other player to break the 50% threshold was former second baseman Chase Utley, who garnered 251 votes, good for 59.1%. Andy Pettitte and Félix Hernández both fell just shy of 50%, as Pettitte received 48.5% of the vote on his eighth ballot and Hernández got 46.1% of the vote in his second year on the ballot.

Of the 12 first-year candidates, Cole Hamels is the only name to remain on the ballot entering next year, as the left-handed starter received 23.8% of the vote. Ryan Braun led the group of players who won’t return to the ballot, as he picked up 15 votes (3.5%). Former Brewer Gio González received no votes, while former closer Francisco Rodríguez received 50 votes (11.8%) and will remain on the ballot for a fifth year next time around.

Congratulations to Beltrán and Jones on joining Kent and the other 354 elected members (281 players) in the Hall this summer! The full voting results of this year’s ballot are below.

Carlos Beltran will soon have a permanent place in Cooperstown, as the former Mets outfielder earned Hall of Fame enshrinement on Tuesday by receiving 84.2 percent of the vote (425 total ballots).

Moments after the nine-time All-Star heard the news, Mets ownership and franchise icons joined the celebration, sharing statements on Beltran's stellar career and achievements.

"One of the most dynamic players ever to wear a Mets uniform, Carlos combined rare power and speed with elite defense, setting a standard of excellence that endures today," said Mets owner Steve Cohen. Beyond his achievements on the field, his leadership, insight, and presence continue to shape our organization. It is a proud moment for Carlos, his family, and Mets fans everywhere."

Beltran, who slashed .279/.350/.486 with 435 home runs, 565 doubles, and 1,587 RBI across 20 seasons, became just the sixth Puerto Rican to reach the Hall of Fame. His roots were emphasized by fellow countryman and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who grew up idolizing Beltran.

"Growing up in Puerto Rico, Carlos was an important role model to so many of us. After getting to know him personally, I saw firsthand what an exceptional father, leader, and role model he truly is," Lindor said of Beltran. "He paved the way for future generations of Puerto Rican baseball players and set them on a path to success. For that, he truly deserves this moment."

During his two decades in the majors, Beltran spent most of the 2000s in Queens, playing alongside David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and José Reyes for several seasons. While the Hall of Fame remains a long shot for Wright, whose career was cut short due to injury, he credited Beltran for his leadership as a veteran teammate.

"I remember being a young player in Port St. Lucie in my first Spring Training and looking at you and trying to emulate your game as best as I could," Wright said of Beltran. "When I think of five-tool players, you are one of the first faces that come to mind. And to top it off with your work ethic."

Beltran also received congratulations from former Mets infielder Jeff Kent, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in December via the Contemporary Baseball Era committee ballot. The 2026 class includes Beltran, Kent, and former Braves slugger Andruw Jones.

"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," Kent said. "Good luck my brother. I look forward to seeing you in July."

This summer, Beltran could become the third player to don a Mets cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. He played for seven teams from 1998-2017, but collected more homers, doubles, RBI, and runs scored with the Mets than anywhere else. 

His seven seasons (839 total games) with the Mets also produced a career-best 31.1 WAR, and his three Gold Glove awards were won while wearing orange and blue.

The Mets also posted a video to X/Twitter that featured former managers Willie Randolph and Jerry Manuel, among other icons, lauding Beltran.

A special message from some of Carlos’ former teammates and managers! 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/zB4QyUVdvb

— New York Mets (@Mets) January 20, 2026

David Wright was one of the first former Mets to congratulate Carlos Beltrán on his election into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. 

The beloved former Mets third baseman wished Beltrán a “huge, huge congratulations” in a video posted by SNY. 

“To think of the impact that you had on my career, the leadership, showing me how a pro prepares, how a pro works, I’ll never forget,” Wright said. “It was a huge building block, whether you know it or not. Well deserved. A true five-tool player, a true star of the game. Proud to call you a teammate and couldn’t be more excited for the Hall of Fame. Congratulations, buddy.” 

David Wright congratulates Carlos Beltrán on his election to the Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/wIxYqrAags

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) January 20, 2026

Wright wasn’t alone in his congratulations for Beltrán, as current Mets star Francisco Lindor released a statement to honor the Mets great. 

“I would like to congratulate Carlos, Jessica, and the rest of his family on the remarkable achievement of his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” Lindor said in a statement. “Growing up in Puerto Rico, Carlos was an important role model to so many of us. After getting to know him personally, I saw firsthand what an exceptional father, leader, and role model he truly is. He paved the way for future generations of Puerto Rican baseball players and set them on a path to success. For that, he truly deserves this moment.”

Wright and Beltrán were teammates from 2005 through 2011 before Beltrán was traded to the Giants.

Their most memorable season came in 2006 when the Mets reached the National League Championship Series and took the Cardinals to seven games, ultimately losing in heartbreaking fashion at Shea Stadium. 

During his seven seasons with the Mets, Beltrán hit .280 with 149 home runs and 559 RBIs. 

The Mets, on their official account on X, posted the video of Beltrán receiving the call that he had been elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America into the Baseball Hall of Fame, with the center fielder getting emotional and his friends and family cheering in celebration around him. 

The call from the Hall pic.twitter.com/yGMoSsfr88

— New York Mets (@Mets) January 20, 2026

This year was his fourth time on the ballot, and he received 84.2 percent of the vote, easily surpassing the 75 percent threshold to be inducted into Cooperstown. 

Beltrán had already indicated to The Post that he would prefer going into the Hall of Fame wearing a Mets cap on his plaque. 

Owner Steve Cohen and his wife Alex were among those who also celebrated Beltran’s big day.

“On behalf of the entire organization, we are thrilled to congratulate Carlos on receiving the highest honor in baseball,” they wrote in a statement. “One of the most dynamic players ever to wear a Mets uniform, Carlos combined rare power and speed with elite defense, setting a standard of excellence that endures today. Beyond his achievements on the field, his leadership, insight, and presence continue to shape our organization. It is a proud moment for Carlos, his family, and Mets fans everywhere.”

During his 20-year career, Beltrán was a nine-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards. He hit 435 home runs, fourth best among primary switch-hitters. 

Aside from the Mets, Beltrán played for the Yankees, Astros, Cardinals, Royals, Rangers and Giants. 

Joining him as part of the Hall of Fame class of 2026 is fellow center fielder Andruw Jones. 

They are just the third and fourth primary center fielders since 1981 to join the Hall of Fame.

Fellow Major League Baseball owners aren’t happy with the Dodgers’ big spending. 

After the two-time defending World Series champions agreed to a deal with Kyle Tucker, adding to their embarrassment of riches and league-high payroll, chatter is growing on how to stop them. 

The Athletic’s Evan Drellich reported Tuesday that a source told him there’s “a 100 percent certainty” that the other 29 teams will push for a salary cap during upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations. 

“These guys are going to go for a cap no matter what it takes,” the anonymous source told the outlet. 

The Tucker pact, a four-year, $240 million contract with $30 million in deferred money, intensifies talks of the coming labor battle — and potential lockout — when the CBA expires in December. 

The massive free agent signing brings the Dodgers’ projected luxury tax payroll to $402.5 million for 2026, per Cot’s Contracts. 

That’s more than the bottom-four payroll clubs combined, outnumbering the sum of the Marlins ($79.3 million), Rays ($93.9M), Guardians ($103.5M) and White Sox ($105.1M) with some time to go before Opening Day. 

The Tucker-Dodgers marriage wasn’t the only move this offseason that has owners upset, per Drellich, though. 

The Mets’ three-year, $126 million deal for Bo Bichette “also raised dander,” according to the report. 

“The Dodgers and Mets might be the only teams that will try to stand in the way of a cap,” the source said. 

The Amazin’s aren’t far behind the Dodgers in terms of spending, with a luxury tax payroll sitting at $345.7.

Agent Scott Boras, who has long been one of the biggest pro-labor and anti-cap voices in the sport, described the Dodgers as an anomaly, and “not a system issue.” 

“[The Dodgers] are the benefactors of acquiring Shohei Ohtani, MLB’s astatine,” Boras said in a statement to The Athletic. “Short-lived and rare. No other player offers such past or present. Ohtani is the genius of elite performance and additional revenue streams of near $250 million annually for a short window of history. 

“The process of acquiring Ohtani was one of fairness and equal opportunity throughout the league,” he continued. “A rare, short-lived element is not a reason to alter the required anchored chemistry of MLB. The mandate of stability to gain media rights optimums is the true solution to league success.”

It’s a tale of sustained excellence, peak brilliance and overdue redemption: Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones each surpassed the 75% needed for election by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America on Tuesday, while Jeff Kent formally was awarded his place in Cooperstown this winter by the Contemporary Era Committee. The trio will headline the Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Kent was announced as a Hall of Fame inductee in December, finally receiving long-overdue recognition for his sterling work at second base. His 377 homers are the most all-time at the position, while his 1,518 RBI and eight 100-RBI seasons are unmatched for a second baseman. Kent was a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger winner who slashed .290/.356/.500 with 55.4 WAR over 17 seasons. Simply put, Kent was a generational talent who did things at second base that most didn’t think were possible.

Beltrán, meanwhile, fell just short of Cooperstown last year in his third trip on the BBWAA ballot, receiving 70.3% of the vote. But the writers have spoken this year, elevating Beltrán to the HOF with 84.2% of the vote. Beltrán appeared in 20 seasons and 2,586 games over his career, slashing .279/.350/.486 with 2,725 hits, 435 home runs, 312 stolen bases and 70 WAR. His counting numbers are all the more impressive considering he’s one of only five players in MLB history to post 500 doubles, 400 homers and 300 steals. Beltrán was a nine-time All-Star and won three Gold Gloves, as well as earning American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1999. What sets Beltrán apart from others, though? His resume in October. Beltrán was a different beast during postseason play, slashing .307/.412/.609 with a 1.021 OPS, which ranks among the best postseason performances ever.

Unfortunately for Beltrán, his career wasn’t all sunshine and roses as he was named in the report on the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal and admitted to using text messages to share scouting information during his tenure with Houston. After apologizing to MLB, he stepped away from baseball for several years. As time went on, the writers increasingly overlooked his role in the scandal and accepted his apology. Today, he serves as the Mets’ special assistant to the president of baseball operations, David Stearns.

The delayed election of Jones is just another example of how a perception of Hall of Fame worthiness can evolve over time. Jones surpassed the 75% mark this year in his ninth year on the ballot, eventually landing at 78.4%. It wasn’t always pretty for Jones, who came alarmingly close to falling off the ballot in his first year of eligibility after recording just 7.3% of the vote. But each year, Jones gained steam as voters began to understand the value of his elite defense at a premium position, combined with plus power at the plate. During his best years, Jones was one of the best center fielders the game has ever seen, winning Gold Gloves for 10 straight seasons while also hammering 434 home runs over his career. Prior to this year, only eight center fielders were enshrined in Cooperstown; with the election of Beltrán  and Jones, that number now sits at 10.

A deeper dive into Jones’ prime reveals just how good he was. At age 19, Jones homered twice in his first two career World Series at-bats. He had seven 30-homer seasons, led MLB with 51 homers in 2005, and was a five-time All-Star. Unfortunately, injuries cut into Jones’ career after age 30 and prevented him from adding even more to his eye-popping stats. Jones spent one lone season in 2010 in Chicago, where he posted a 120 OPS+ and put up a 1.9 WAR across 107 games for the White Sox. His career was also not without issue, as an off-field arrest for domestic violence in 2012 may have delayed his rise toward Cooperstown.

Finally, reaching career highs on Monday was former White Sox southpaw Mark Buehrle, who saw his vote total jump from 11.4% in 2025 to 20% in 2026. It’s a steady increase over the course of his six years on the ballot, and one that could continue to trend upwards as seasons pass. This year’s election was rife with first-time voters, and this generally progressive sect gave the southpaw a healthy boost.

Buehrle has one of the best pitching hallmarks of all time, tossing at least 200 innings in 14 straight seasons. Only seven Modern Era pitchers have reached that milestone, and six are already in the Hall of Fame. Buehrle won 214 games, logged more than 3,200 innings since the start of the 21st Century and had elite defensive metrics earning him three Gold Gloves. Buehrle also boasts several signature moments (which voters love), including a perfect game, a no-hitter, an ALCS complete game, and a back-to-back starter win and save in the World Series. Hopefully, his case will only grow stronger with time, and the momentum eventually works in Buehrle’s favor.