Matching Legends: Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones share a history, future in Cooperstown

Less than 48 hours after receiving the news that they’d be forever members of the game’s most prestigious squad, center fielders Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were surrounded by 351 bronze images from the National Pastime’s historic pantheon.

The dynamic duo, contemporaries who blossomed in the first decade of the 21st century, combined for 37 seasons in the big leagues, 14 All-Star Game selections, 13 Gold Glove Awards, four top-10 MVP finishes, three Silver Slugger Awards and 33 postseason series as well as a treasure trove of assorted hardware.

In addition to their many commonalities, the pair of 48-year-olds were born one day apart in 1977 – Jones on April 23 and Beltrán on April 24; Beltrán has 435 career home runs, one more than Jones; and they both have a career slugging percentage of .486.

The two were together for a media event on Thursday, Jan. 22, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for the first time since being elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Jack O’Connell, the secretary-treasurer of the BBWAA, shared the press conference dais with the two newest electees, Hall of Fame President Josh Rawitch and Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark.

“For over 90 years we have been commissioned to conduct these elections, and for the first time our organization has elected two center fielders in the same year,” is how O’Connell began the proceedings. “Now, among the first class in 1936 was a center fielder, Ty Cobb; Tris Speaker joined him the next year. Along the way came Joe DiMaggio, Willie (Mays), Mickey (Mantle) and the Duke (Snider), Kirby Puckett and Junior Griffey. So now here are Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones…Now they’re elbow-to-elbow as Hall of Fame classmates. And all I can tell both of you is that your experience in Cooperstown will only get better by the day.”

Prior to taking questions from the media, Beltrán and Jones donned the jersey and cap of their final team, the greatest team ever assembled, the Hall of Fame team.

Hall of Fame Weekend 2026 will be held July 24-27 in Cooperstown, with the Class of 2026 to be inducted on Sunday, July 26, on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center. The three-member Class of 2026 also includes Jeff Kent via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote in December. Ford C. Frick Award winner Joe Buck and BBWAA Career Excellence Award winner Paul Hoynes will be honored during Induction Weekend at the Awards Presentation.

“I never dreamed about being a Hall of Famer. All I dreamed was to just be a good baseball player and have a team win,” said Jones, who was elected in his ninth appearance on the BBWAA ballot. “And now I’m here on this morning and part of this great legacy. And I’m here with people that I admired from a distance and those I competed against for so many years. I’m very honored to be here.

“This is the top honor. All the Silver Sluggers, the Gold Gloves, the championship, I think this is the top.”

Beltrán, elected in his fourth time on the ballot, called his election a dream come true.

“When you look at the people that are here, the players who played before us, there’s no doubt that I’m very grateful of all of them, because they really shaped the game to what it is today,” Beltrán said. “In the era where I played baseball, it’s not in the same era where those players played baseball. Baseball really has evolved, and I’m grateful for all of them, because they really designed the path, a better path, for players like me.

“When I look about the history of the game of baseball, there are so many good players that have played the game. These players went through ups and downs, difficulties, and the fact that I played in an era where I was treated right, I was treated with respect, it really means a lot.”

Beltrán was a five-tool player who excelled from both sides of the plate, playing 20 seasons in the big leagues with the Mets, Royals, Yankees, Cardinals, Astros, Rangers and Giants. His combination of power and speed made him one of just five players in big league baseball history with 400 homers and 300 stolen bases, as he slugged 435 home runs among his 2,725 big-league hits. A nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove Award winner and the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year in Kansas City, he helped five different teams reach the postseason. In 65 career postseason games, he posted an OPS of 1.021 with 16 home runs, setting a then-Major League record by going deep in five consecutive postseason contests.

Having played for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2017, he’ll serve as the General Manager for Puerto Rico’s entry in the 2026 WBC. He becomes the sixth Puerto Rican to be elected to the Hall of Fame, a list that includes Roberto Clemente, whose prestigious award Beltrán received in 2013 in honor of his extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. He’s currently a special assistant to the president of baseball operations with the Mets, a position he’s held since 2023.

Jones launched 434 career home runs and joins Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr. as the only center fielders to win 10 Gold Glove Awards. He played 17 years with the Braves, Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox and Yankees. Bursting onto the scene as a 19-year-old in 1996, he became the youngest player to homer in the World Series, blasting home runs in his first two Fall Classic plate appearances. Atlanta would win division titles during each of his first 10 big league seasons, capped off by his 2005 campaign in which he slugged a major-league best 51 home runs and drove in an NL high 128 runs, while posting a .922 OPS and being the runner-up for the Senior Circuit’s Most Valuable Player.

During a six-year span from 2000 to 2005, he won six Gold Glove Awards, made four All-Star teams, won a Silver Slugger Award and averaged 37 homers and 106 RBI. He becomes the first native of the island of Curaçao to be elected to the Hall of Fame, and in March, he’ll serve as the manager for Team Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic.

At the conclusion of the media availability, the two new BBWAA electees were taken to where their plaques will be found after this summer’s induction – and signed the plaque backer.

While in Cooperstown, the pair also took part in a Hall of Fame orientation afforded all new electees, which included a guided tour of the Museum by Hall of Fame senior curator Tom Shieber.

When Jones saw a Willie Stargell jersey in the Whole New Ballgame exhibit during his tour, he remembered his former instructor while in the Braves system.

“Remember you don’t make (any) money in the minors,” Jones said. “And he challenged us. He put a bucket out and he said, ‘If you guys hop it three times into the hole (on a throw), I’ll give you $200.’ And back then $200, that’s great. So, I just went up and made it and was like, ‘You’re special. You’re going to be special.’ He kept an eye on me for the long time.”

Beltrán, meanwhile, reveled in the history of the game.

“The story of baseball is not about one player. It’s about multiple players, different nationalities, different backgrounds, understanding where the game began and where the game is today,” Beltrán said. “The tour was so overwhelming. I’m so proud my family was here to embrace this opportunity. I love the history of baseball. It’s something I’m passionate about.

 “Now when I go back to Puerto Rico, and people will ask me, ‘Hey Carlos, where should I go for a good baseball experience?’ my advice will be to get to Cooperstown to understand what it’s all about.”

Bill Francis is the senior research and writing specialist at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum