Carlos Beltrán appeared on 70.3% of the ballots Tuesday, leaving the former Mets and Yankees outfielder shy of the 75% required for Hall of Fame election.

Also newly eligible next year are Matt Kemp, the runner-up to Braun for that MVP, as well as 2016 Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and longtime Kansas City Royals standout Alex Gordon.

The Cooperstown candidacies of Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones might benefit by the lack of slam-dunk newcomers to the 2026 Hall of Fame ballot.

It now appears it’s a question of when, not if, Carlos Beltrán will be voted ... probably won’t be any first-ballot inductees. Cole Hamels and Ryan Braun are expected to headline the newcomers.

It now appears it’s a question of when, not if, Carlos Beltrán will be voted ... probably won’t be any first-ballot inductees. Cole Hamels and Ryan Braun are expected to headline the newcomers.

Cole Hamels and Ryan Braun are expected to headline the newcomers. “He’s going to be the closest to the finish line, and there’s I don’t think anybody who’s going to threaten 75% coming ...

It takes 75% of the vote for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) to elect a player to the Hall of Fame, so you might think that a candidate debuting far from that three-quarters mark would signal doom for his chances.

Used to leading off, Ichiro Suzuki got antsy when he had to wait. Considered a no-doubt pick for baseball's Hall of Fame and possibly the second unanimous selection, he waited by the