Royals Legend Projected As Virtual Lock For 2026 Hall Of Fame Class

It looks as though Beltrán is headed to the Hall.

Jun 6, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Houston Astros designated hitter Carlos Beltran (15) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Kansas City Royals in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 9-7. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, players on the Baseball Writers' Association of America ballot for the Hall of Fame will find out their fates.

Former Kansas City Royals star Carlos Beltrán was denied entry into the Hall on his first two attempts, but got perilously close last year. After receiving a wave of early support this time around from the writers who have made their ballots public, things are looking good for the Puerto Rico native this time around.

According to a projection system from Jason Sardell, Beltrán has 100% odds of cracking the Hall of Fame when results are announced at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

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Beltrán appears Cooperstown-bound

9/28/08 3:42:51 PM -- Queens, NY, U.S.A -- The Florida Marlins visit the New York Mets. The Mets hope to make the wildcard as they play the last regular season game at Shea Stadium. -- New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran ties game w 2 run hr in the 6th Photo by Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY Staff ORG XMIT: RD 35191 mets 9/28/2008 (Via MerlinFTP Drop) Xxx Mets Rd202 Jpg S Bbn Usa Ny | Robert Deutsch, USAT via Imagn Content Services, LLC

MLB.com's Brian Murphy discussed Beltrán's odds for the Hall more in depth on Tuesday, while also pointing out that a ballot tracker from Ryan Thibodaux showed him owning the highest percentage of votes among any candidates so far this year, with nearly half of the ballots counted.

"Beltrán has received a vote on 89.2% of the ballots counted by Thiboadaux's tracker," Murphy wrote. "Like all players on the BBWAA ballot, he just needs to be above 75% of the vote when the final results are unveiled.

"According to Sardell's latest simulations, Beltrán ends up north of that magic number 100% of the time. So it looks like the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will contain two members of the 2004 Astros."

Beltrán played seven seasons with the Royals, tying with the New York Mets for the longest stint of his career. He won the American League Rookie of the Year Award as a Royal in 1999, finished ninth in Most Valuable Player voting the following year, then was traded to the Houston Astros the following season in the middle of his first All-Star campaign.

Beltrán would go on to make nine All-Star teams, win three Gold Gloves, and win a World Series with the 2017 Astros -- which, ironically, probably delayed his Hall of Fame induction by a couple of years, because he was held responsible by many voters for the team's technology-driven sign-stealing scandal.

Though Sardell's simulations all but confirm the notion that Beltrán's induction is a lock, the news can't become official until Tuesday evening. It seems that he's destined to go into the Hall as a Met, but he'll always be remembered fondly for his time in Kansas City, too.

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