COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones, and Jeff Kent were officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday before a crowd estimated at 12,000 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. The ceremony featured 57 other Hall of Famers on stage, marking the largest gathering of current inductees in the institution’s history.

Jones, a longtime Atlanta Braves outfielder and 10-time Gold Glove winner, became the first player from Curaçao to receive this honor. In his speech, he emphasized the challenges of coming from a small island over 2,000 miles away and expressed hope that his induction would pave the way for future players like Ozzie Albies and Kenley Jansen, citing the legacy established by Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens. Jones also paid a heartfelt tribute to his late father, Henry Jones, who helped develop his skills and instilled a strong work ethic.

Beltrán, a 20-year Major League veteran and the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year, received enthusiastic support from the crowd whenever he referenced his Puerto Rican heritage. Throughout his career, Beltrán played for several teams but singled out the New York Mets for shaping his life and career. While he acknowledged the impact of his teammates across various stops, he notably did not mention the 2017 World Series championship he won with the Houston Astros — a title shadowed by the team's involvement in an illegal sign-stealing scandal, which also implicated Beltrán. Though he did not address the controversy directly, Beltrán thanked the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) for electing him and acknowledged those who may have withheld votes, underscoring the importance of fairness in judgment.

Beltrán secured 84.2 percent of the BBWAA vote on his fourth ballot attempt, while Jones was elected in his ninth year on the ballot with 78.4 percent, surpassing the required 75 percent threshold. Kent, a 2000 National League MVP who holds the all-time home run record for second basemen, was selected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December after his eligibility on the writers’ ballot expired in 2023.

Kent, who played for six teams over a 17-year career, showed emotion during the weekend’s events, wiping away tears at times. In a post-ceremony news conference, he recounted how his baseball path shifted when his father promised him a pickup truck if he earned a college scholarship. That encouragement led Kent to abandon motorcycle racing and focus on academics and baseball, eventually attending the University of California at Berkeley. He still owns the truck, which serves as a reminder of pivotal moments that changed his life’s direction.

The inductions of Beltrán, Jones, and Kent recognize their significant contributions to the sport, highlighting diverse backgrounds and individual journeys that culminated in baseball’s highest honor.