Hall Could Call For Former Yankees All-Star

The National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce the Class of 2026 on January 21. Several former New York Yankees stars are on the ballot this year.

Jul 27, 2025; Cooperstown, NY, USA; A plaque for Hall of Fame inductee Ichiro Suzuki on display during the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Clark Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Carlos Beltran, come on down! The former New York Yankees outfielder could be the next player heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

With 72 ballots counted and made public, Beltran has been named by 82.9% of the voters. A player needs 75% for induction in Cooperstown.

This is Beltran's fourth year on the ballot. He was named on 70.3% of the ballots last year, so induction in 2026 seems likely.

Beltran spent three seasons in the Bronx (2014-16). The nine-time All-Star won three Gold Glove awards and two Silver Slugger Awards during his 20-year MLB career, which saw him collect 2,725 base hits, 435 home runs and 312 stolen bases.

Beyond The Numbers

But those numbers don't tell the whole story.

Beltran is one of five players in MLB history with at least 500 doubles, 400 home runs and 300 steals. The others are Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Andre Dawson and Willie Mays, according to MLB.com's Jason Catania.

In addition, Beltran is one of 38 players to record 1,500 runs scored and 1,500 RBIs. Catania reports 30 of those players are already in the Hall of Fame. And that doesn't include Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera, who are future first-ballot Hall of Famers.

Jul 26, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Carlos Beltran (36) smiles before a game against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Trending Up

Also trending up is former Yankees left-hander Andy Pettitte. The southpaw is on the ballot for the eighth time and has been named on 56.6% of those made public. That's a huge jump from last year, when Pettitte was named on just 27.9% of ballots.

While Pettitte's regular-season stats (256 wins and 3.85 ERA in 18 seasons) don't scream Hall of Fame, the three-time All-Star helped the Yankees win five World Series titles as part of the "Core Four" with Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera. As a result, Pettitte holds the record for most postseason wins (19), innings pitched (276.2) and starts (44).

If Pettitte doesn't make it this time around, he will remain on the ballot for two more years.

How About That?

And to quote long-time Yankees play-by-play announcer Mel Allen: "How about that!"

Former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been named this year on 50.0% of the ballots made public. This is the three-time MVP's fifth year on the ballot.

Last year, Rodriguez was named on 37.1% of ballots cast as writers struggled to set aside his year-long suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.

Headliners

A pair of former Yankees headlined the 2025 Hall of Fame class: Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and left-hander CC Sabathia, both of whom were elected in their first year on the ballot.

Without a big-name headliner this year, Beltran and former Yankees outfielder Andruw Jones have the best chances of heading to Cooperstown. They are the only two players who received at least 50 percent of the Baseball Writers' Association of America votes in 2025.

If Jones doesn't make it this year, he will remain on the ballot for one more year.

Looking ahead to the 2027 ballot, among the first-time eligible players will long-time Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner.

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