Why Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltran will share Baseball HOF stage alone in 2026

They both stepped up in the biggest games 

Both are known as two of the most clutch playoff performers in history. Beltran hit .307 in 65 career postseason games and was a member of two pennant winners, winning a World Series ring with the 2017 Houston Astros. Jones hit .273 with 10 October home runs and was a key part of the 1996 and 1999 Atlanta Braves teams that reached the Fall Classic. 

Why no one else stands a chance this year 

The next closest player in the 2025 voting was Chase Utley with 39.8% followed by several superstars with performance-enhancing-drug use during their careers. Since it's unlikely Utley will gain enough votes to advance to the 75% threshold or voters will soften on the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez or Andy Pettitte, Beltran and Jones seem to be the only options on the 2026 ballot. 

Rodriguez, Ramirez and even Pettitte have resumes that would normally guarantee being immortalized in the Hall of Fame, but they will most likely all have to rely on the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot, much the same way Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens have to with one last hope this year.

Bobby Abreu, Felix Hernandez, Jimmy Rollins and even Torii Hunter have debatable cases but would need an unprecedented rise up the ballot to reach Cooperstown. 

What about any newcomers? 

Well, aside from the perpetual debates about the voting process, none truly warrant being elected, let alone on the first ballot. 

2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels and 2011 National League MVP Ryan Braun headline the list of first timers. Hamels had a nice career, but falls shy of pretty much every measure used to evaluate a pitcher. Braun, of course, has the often insurmountable obstacle of admitting PED use and serving a 65-game suspension in 2013. 

Others like Alex Gordon, Edwin Encarnacion, Gio Gonzalez, Matt Kemp and Hunter Pence will likely drop off the ballot all together. 

But even though it appears the stage won't be crowded in the summer of 2026, bigger classes are likely to come in 2027 and beyond.