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The National Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán on Sunday in Cooperstown, New York.
The Clark Sports Center was home to more than 60 Hall of Famers. They came to watch the newest members of the Hall hold their plaques and deliver emotional speeches.
All three of this year’s inductees struck a chord. Here’s a rundown of how they got here and what they said to encapsulate their prolific baseball careers.
Presenting your Hall of Fame Class of 2026! pic.twitter.com/iJfGbDslsT
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) July 26, 2026
Jeff Kent, 5-time All-Star 2B
Jeff Kent was an All-Star three of his six seasons with the San Francisco Giants, whom he helped reach the World Series in 2002. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) Jamie Squire via Getty Images
Teams he played for
Toronto Blue Jays (1992), New York Mets (1992-96), Cleveland (1996), San Francisco Giants (1997-2002), Houston Astros (2003-04), Los Angeles Dodgers (2005-08)
How he got to Cooperstown
Kent was granted enshrinement by the 16-member Contemporary Baseball Era Committee . He got a second look after spending 10 seasons on a BBWAA ballot loaded with stars at the time he first graced it.
His spot in the Hall is well-deserved. A 20th-round pick out of Cal, he went on to help reset the run-production standard for middle infielders. No second baseman has launched more home runs than Kent. He clocked out with 377 dingers , and his 1,518 RBI are mighty impressive, too. Kent piled up eight 100-RBI seasons. In 2000, he earned NL MVP honors with the Giants, who of course had Barry Bonds raking for them back then as well. That season, Kent notched a career-high .596 slugging percentage to go along with 33 homers and 125 RBI.
What he said during his induction speech
Kent opened his speech by noting that there was a time when he played baseball and didn't dream of being on the stage he now found himself speaking on.
"There were more important things in my life than baseball," he admitted. "One of them was a pickup truck. When I was 16 years old, I was racing motorcycles and driving my great-grandparents' old Plymouth Volaré. And my dad knew motorcycles weren't taking me anywhere, so he made me a bet.
"He knew that if I were to earn a college scholarship, that he'd buy me a pickup truck. My dad was a simple guy, a police officer in Southern California, and that's about all we could afford extra at that time in my life. And that truck meant everything to me. So I quit racing and focused on school and baseball and won that baseball scholarship because I got that truck.
"That truck is still with me. It sits in my garage as a simple reminder that some of the simplest things. ... the simplest things can change the entire direction of your life."
Through all the twists and turns, Jeff Kent kept on trucking. #HOFWKND pic.twitter.com/gMCIY7KrUB
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) July 26, 2026
Kent's MLB career spanned 17 seasons. He earned All-Star recognition during three of his six seasons with the Giants, whom he assisted in reaching the World Series in 2002.
"San Francisco is home. San Francisco is where every lesson I'd learned finally came together," Kent said before giving credit to then-Giants general manager Brian Sabean for bringing him aboard and building a title-contending roster.
"The group that Brian built started out as Game 7 losers in the 2002 World Series but eventually turned that organization into three-time World Series champions in five years," Kent said, referring to San Francisco's dynasty in the early 2010s.
Then Kent showered Dusty Baker with compliments. Baker managed the Giants from 1993-2002.
"The team wasn't complete without a leader, and I had the best one there was, Dusty Baker," Kent said. "He was the right man at the right time for me. And I'm naturally a half-empty guy. I see what's broken, and I want to fix it. That's probably what drew me to this game. But looking back, I think I complicated the game a lot more than it needed to be. And Dusty was the opposite.
"Dusty didn't complicate the game. He respected it. I could feel his passion in winning and everything he did. Even those toothpicks used to chew out. What was great about Dusty is he'd reach you on your level, though. He'd reach you on your level and elevate your thinking and your drive. That was what was special. And I flourish in that environment and under his leadership. And I'm forever grateful for that, Dusty. Thank you."
Kent was part of six major-league teams. The name on the front of his jersey changed over the course of his time in the bigs, except his position remained a constant.
"I took pride in playing second base: the position that keeps you in every play and demands toughness," he said.
"But my bat was always my ticket. I learned a long time ago from Tommy Lasorda, one of the best motivators in the game, a simple truth that I lived by for my whole career: The money lies in the RBIs."
Andruw Jones, 5-time All-Star CF
Andruw Jones logged 368 home runs over 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, including an MLB-leading 51 big flies during the 2005 campaign. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) Dilip Vishwanat via Getty Images
Teams he played for
Atlanta Braves (1996-2007), Los Angeles Dodgers (2008), Texas Rangers (2009), Chicago White Sox (2010), New York Yankees (2011-12)
How he got to Cooperstown
Just 7.3% of voters gave Jones the nod in 2018, his first year on the ballot. No player eventually elected by the writers has ever received a lower percentage of the vote during their candidacy for the Hall, according to The Athletic . Nevertheless, Jones' résumé stood the test of time. He possessed head-turning power and jaw-dropping defensive ability. He won 10 Gold ...
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