Andruw Jones

Andruw Jones stepped into the majors in 1996 and played 31 regular season games. At 19, he carried raw talent and fearless confidence onto a postseason roster. October never scared him. The spotlight only sharpened his swing.

The Braves stormed into the World Series to face the New York Yankees. Jones wasted no time announcing himself on baseball’s biggest stage. In his first World Series plate appearance, he crushed an Andy Pettitte fastball over the fence. The blast made him the youngest player ever to homer in World Series history.

One swing later, history again found him. Jones returned to the box and attacked Brian Boehringer. He launched another homer, doubling down on his arrival. He joined Gene Tenace as the only two players to slug home runs in their first two World Series plate appearances.

The teenage phenom rewrote expectations with every cut. No other teenager has homered in a World Series game before or since.

The moment aged into legend while his career kept building. That October debut defined his mystique. Jones played loose, powerful, and unafraid. He didn’t ease into baseball’s grandest stage; he kicked the door down and owned it.

Shown here is a lineup card from Game 2 of the following season’s American League Divisional Series. Pettitte earned the start and signed the card. Six Yankee teammates added their names alongside his.

After the mandatory 5-year waiting period, Andruw Jones limped onto the 2018 ballot with 31 votes, barely surviving above the five percent cutoff. Eighteen candidates outpaced him, exposing how far he stood from serious Hall of Fame momentum.

That ballot produced four immediate inductees and several others who later reached Cooperstown. The 2019 vote offered no rescue, as Jones gained only one additional supporter.
His candidacy stalled, drifting near irrelevance while the clock on eligibility kept ticking.

Momentum finally arrived in 2020, when Jones more than doubled his share to 19.4 percent. Voters started another look, rewarding his résumé with steady and unmistakable progress.

The climb accelerated in 2021, as Jones surged to 33.9 percent of the vote. He followed with 41.4 percent in 2022, pushing himself into the conversation. By 2023, Jones cracked 58.1 percent and transformed from afterthought to contender.

The upward trend held in 2024, delivering 61.6 percent and real October-style tension. Jones raised that mark to 66.2 percent in 2025, edging within striking distance.

In his ninth ballot appearance, Jones finished the chase with 78.4 percent in 2026. The long climb ended with celebration, perseverance rewarded, and a plaque finally secured. The 7.3 percent of the vote he got in his debut on the ballot in 2018 was the lowest of any player to be elected by the BBWAA.

Shown here is a Jones’ autograph on a Hall of Fame signature card.

Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones always shared a timeline. Baseball history nudged them together again. On January 20, 2025, writers elected both center fielders to the Hall of Fame.

They two entered Cooperstown on the same day, July 26, 2026. Fans saw symmetry everywhere.

Beltrán surged in his fourth ballot year. He captured 84.2 percent of the vote. His case blended postseason thunder and elegance. He ran bases like pressure never existed. At bat he totaled 2,725 hits, 427 homers, and 1,587 runs batted in. For good measure he earned three Gold Glove Award. Voters rewarded a complete player.

Jones battled longer but finished strong. He completed his path to the Hall in his ninth year on the ballot when he garnered 78.4% of the vote.

Defense defined his legend. Jones goes down as one of the greatest centerfielders in baseball history. Ten Gold Gloves reside in his trophy case. Offensively he slammed 25 or more home runs in ten consecutive seasons, highlighted by his 51-homer season in 2005.

Birthdays linked them long before ballots. Jones arrived April 23, 1977, in Willemstad, Curaçao. Beltrán followed one day later in Manatí, Puerto Rico. They grew apart geographically yet mirrored greatness.

Shown here is receipt Beltrán signed his 2011 All-Star ring. Jones and Beltrán now share immortality. Baseball loves a perfect echo.

Birthdate	4/23/1977
Death Date
Debut Year	1996
Year of Induction	2026
Teams	Braves, Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, Yankees
Position	Center Field

In the collection:

Andruw Jones earned 10 Gold Gloves and hit 434 career home runs

At age 19 Jones hit a homer in his first two World Series at bats; he remains the only teenager to homer in a World Series contest

In 2005 Jones earned the Hank Aaron Award as the league's top offensive performer

Five of Jones' Braves teammates, his skipper and the GM who signed him are in Cooperstown

Jones' 7.3% of the vote his first time on the ballot is the lowest of any eventual writers choice

Born one day apart, Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones were inducted together in 2026

Chipper Jones

Bobby Cox

John Smoltz

Greg Maddux

Tom Glavine

John Schuerholz

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