Ex-Cardinals All-Star Predicted To Reach Hall of Fame in 2026

A former Cardinal may not get the call this year, but still could next year.

Oct 28, 2013; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Carlos Beltran (3) talks with Boston Red Sox first baseman David Ortiz (right) after hitting a single during the second inning of game five of the MLB baseball World Series at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have had a relatively boring offseason, with most of their work being done behind the scenes rather than with the Major League roster. However, there is something to potentially look forward to for St. Louis fans.

Former Cardinals outfielder Carlos Beltran is on the Hall-of-Fame ballot for the third consecutive year. He became eligible in 2023, the year that Cardinals legend Scott Rolen was inducted.

Beltran is expected to gain more of the vote this year. However, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report predicts that while he's likely to gain more of the vote in 2025, 2026 may be the year he gets in.

"It looked like Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones might get over the hump in 2025 after another solid bump in support a year ago, but both standout center fielders will likely have to wait until 2026 to get the call," Reuter wrote.

"As it stands, Beltrán is actually over the 75 percent threshold, but he had a wide 21.9 percent support gap between public and private ballots a year ago, so expect his final total to be quite a bit lower than where things currently stand. That said, he is still trending in the right direction."

Beltran played two seasons with the Cardinals. He joined the club in 2012 after they lost Albert Pujols, and he was an All-Star in both his seasons in St. Louis. He also helped guide them to the World Series in 2013. That same year, he was the Roberto Clemente Award winner.

In addition, he was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1999, a nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger.

More MLB: Cardinals Predicted To Move $100M All-Star To AL West Contender At Trade Deadline