It now appears it's a question of when, not if, Carlos Beltrán will be voted into the Hall of Fame. In fact, next year could be his time, with the ballot wide open. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected in voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America announced Tuesday night.

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner — were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday. Another deserving candidate, outfielder Carlos Beltran, came agonizingly close to being the fourth.

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.

In fact, next year could be his time, with the ballot wide open. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America announced Tuesday night.