Carlos Beltrán Elected to Hall of Fame

Carlos Beltrán is headed to Cooperstown. The former Spokane Indians outfielder was one of two players elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), joining fellow center field standout Andruw Jones.

Beltrán, 48, received 84.2% of the vote in his fourth year on the ballot, becoming the sixth Hall of Famer to hail from Puerto Rico. Beltrán, Jones, and Jeff Kent—who was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December—will be inducted in Cooperstown, NY, on Sunday, July 26th.

“There’s no doubt that today, my life really has changed,” Beltrán said on a conference call. “What this means to me, to Puerto Rico, to our family… it’s just a great thing that through my career, through the ups and downs of baseball, today I can say that I’m a Hall of Famer.”

Originally drafted in the second round out of Fernando Callejo High School (Puerto Rico) by the Kansas City Royals in 1995, Beltrán appeared in 59 games with the Indians in 1996, slashing .270/.359/.433 with 18 extra-base hits and 10 stolen bases. He reached the big leagues just two years later and won American League Rookie of the Year with Kansas City in 1999 after hitting .293 with 22 home runs, 27 stolen bases, 112 runs, and 108 RBIs.

The switch-hitting center fielder went on to earn nine All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers during his 20-year MLB career with the Royals, Astros, Mets, Giants, Cardinals, Yankees, and Rangers. Beltrán was at his best during the postseason, highlighted by his legendary performance with Houston in 2004 (12 G, .436/.532/1.024, 8 HR, 14 RBI, 6 SB) and capped off his career with a World Series title in 2017. Beltrán's 1.021 postseason OPS is the eighth-best all time (min. 100 PA) and he finished with more walks (37) than strikeouts (33) in 256 playoff plate appearances.

One of just five players in AL/NL history to accumulate 500 doubles, 400 homers, and 300 steals, Beltrán is ninth all time in WAR (70.1), fifth all time in home runs (435), and third all time in doubles (565) among center fielders. He ranks sixth among all switch-hitters in hits, second in doubles, fourth in home runs, third in RBIs, and eighth in slugging (min. 1,500 PA) while his 86.4% stolen base percentage is the best among all players with at least 200 career steals in the Live Ball Era (since 1920).

Beltrán is the seventh Indians alum enshrined in Cooperstown and the first since Don Sutton in 1998. A complete list can be found below:

Carlos Beltrán - 2026

Don Sutton - 1998

Tommy Lasorda - 1997

Hoyt Wilhelm - 1985

Duke Snider - 1980

George "High Pockets" Kelly -1973

Stan Coveleski - 1969

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The Spokane Indians are the High-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies located in Spokane Valley, Wash. The Indians have played at Avista Stadium, home to the MultiCare Kids Bench Seat, since 1958 and have been a proud member of the Spokane community since 1903. Single game tickets for the 2026 season are available now at spokaneindians.com. Parking at all Spokane Indians games is FREE. The Spokane Indians Front Office and Team Store are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.