Four former Houston Astros on the 2026 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot include one of the dozen new candidates and the leading returning vote-getter.

Carlos Beltrán, the nine-time All-Star outfielder and two-time Astro, received 70.3 percent of the vote last year and appears to have a realistic chance at reaching the 75% threshold needed for election via the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot in his fourth turn.

Beltrán, who played the last of his 20 major-league seasons in Houston, was the lone player named in Major League Baseball’s report on the Astros’ sign-stealing scheme in 2017 and as the first player from that team to appear on the Hall of Fame ballot offered an indication of how voters might weigh future such candidates.

In his 20 seasons, Beltrán amassed nine All-Star selections, 435 home runs, 2,725 hits and three Gold Glove awards. The switch-hitter totaled a 119 OPS-plus and 70 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference. He is among five players to total at least 2,700 hits, 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases – along with Barry Bonds, Andre Dawson, Willie Mays and Álex Rodríguez.

Beltrán received 46.5% of the vote in his first year on the ballot but posted steady gains in each of the next two years, to 57.1% in 2024 and 70.3% in 2025. Beltrán and Andruw Jones, who got 66.2% of the vote last year, are the only returning candidates who appeared on more than 40% of ballots in the last voting cycle.

That no first-time candidates this year wield a clear-cut case for election may bolster Beltran’s chances. Last year, Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia were both elected in their first year of eligibility, joining former Astros closer Billy Wagner in the class of 2025.

Former pitcher Cole Hamels (59 career bWAR) and outfielder Ryan Braun (47.2) are among the 12 new candidates along with pitchers Gio Gonzalez and Rick Porcello, infielders Howie Kendrick and Daniel Murphy, DH-infielder Edwin Encarnación, outfielder-third baseman Alex Gordon, and outfielders Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence.

Pence was drafted by the Astros in 2004 and played parts of five seasons with Houston. He also played for the Giants, Phillies and Rangers in a 14-year career that included four All-Star selections, 244 home runs and 1,791 hits.

Bobby Abreu and Andy Pettitte, who also played with the Astros, are among 15 holdovers on the ballot. Pettitte, who pitched for Houston from 2004-06, is in his eighth year on the ballot after receiving 27.9% of the vote last year, up from 13.5% in 2024. Abreu, who debuted with Houston, appeared on 19.5% of ballots in his sixth year of eligibility. Players can appear on the ballot up to 10 times.

Other holdovers on this year’s ballot are: pitchers Mark Buehrle, Félix Hernández and Francisco Rodríguez; infielders Dustin Pedroia, Álex Rodríguez, Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Omar Vizquel and David Wright; and outfielders Torii Hunter and Manny Ramírez. Ramírez is the only holdover entering his 10th and final year of eligibility.

Voting is conducted by BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of MLB coverage. Results will be announced Jan. 20. Any Hall of Fame electees, along with anyone chosen by the contemporary era committee next month, will be inducted July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y.