On Tuesday, Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltran were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2026. In the process, they made MLB history.
They became the first centerfielders since 1981 to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, per
Jeff Passan of ESPN. In fact, the only two centerfielders to be inducted since that time were Ken Griffey Jr. and Kirby Puckett.
From 1998 to 2017, Beltran accumulated 2,725 hits, a .279 lifetime batting average, 435 home runs, and 1,587 RBIs. Beltran played for eight teams throughout his career. Most notably, he played for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, and Houston Astros.
His induction is a welcome relief to his friend, Albert Pujols.
Meanwhile, Jones played from 1996 to 2013, most prominently with the Atlanta Braves. He later played for the Rangers, Dodgers, White Sox, and Yankees. He finished with a lifetime batting average of .254, 1,933 hits, 434 home runs, and 1,289 RBIs.
Altogether, there are 24 centerfielders in the Baseball Hall of Fame before Beltran and Jones. Among them are Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Duke Snyder, Larry Doby, Cool Papa Bell, etc.
Players spanning across the Early Era, Negro Leagues, the Mid-Century Era, and the Later Eras.
The centerfielders inducted before Beltran and Jones left their mark
Puckett played for the Minnesota Twins from 1984 to 1995. He led them to two World Series titles in 1987 and 1991. Additionally, he won six Gold Glove Awards and Silver Slugger Awards. Puckett was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
He had a lifetime batting average of .318 with 2,304 hits, 207 home runs, and 1,085 RBIs.
Griffey was in the league from 1989 to 2010. He played for the Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, and Chicago White Sox, but most prominently for the Mariners. Altogether, he had a lifetime batting average of .284 with 2,781 hits, 630 home runs, and 1,836 RBIs.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
