Beltrán, Jones and Kent pay tribute to home and family during Baseball Hall of Fame inductions - AP News

What the report says

The Associated Press reported that Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York. The ceremony drew an estimated 12,000 fans and 57 living Hall of Famers on stage, which AP described as the largest such gathering of current members.

Beltrán and Jones, both standout center fielders with deep Caribbean roots, used their remarks to emphasize home, family and national pride. Jones, a longtime Atlanta Braves outfielder, became the first Hall of Famer from Curaçao. AP said he reflected on the distance between his island and Cooperstown, credited Curaçao’s baseball line of influence, and paid tribute to his late father, Henry Jones, for coaching that helped shape his defense. Jones was a 10-time Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star.

Beltrán’s supporters waved Puerto Rican flags and chanted for Puerto Rico before he spoke. He thanked the organizations he played for during a 20-year career and explained that he chose a New York Mets cap for his plaque because, in his view, New York had shaped his life. AP noted that Beltrán did not directly discuss the Houston Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal, though he acknowledged both writers who voted for him and those who did not. He was elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America with 84.2% of the vote on his fourth ballot; Jones received 78.4% in his ninth year.

Kent, identified by AP as a power-hitting second baseman, completed the three-member class and was shown becoming emotional during the ceremony. The inductions add three prominent modern-era players to baseball’s most recognized individual shrine.