Two days after getting the phone call that would cement their legacies in Cooperstown, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones arrived at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum with plenty of gratitude.

“I woke up this morning and I was kind of like, ‘I’m in Cooperstown,’” said Beltrán on Thursday at a press conference in the Plaque Gallery. “It’s a dream come true.”

“You don’t dream to be a Hall of Famer,” Jones said. “You dream to be a Major League Baseball player, and be consistent and go out there and help your team and try to win a championship.”

Before and after speaking with reporters, the pair walked around the gallery admiring the previous 351 inductees. Jones took several photos, including plaques of his Atlanta Braves teammates Chipper Jones, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, as well as manager Bobby Cox and general manager John Schuerholz.

“The Atlanta Braves gave me that big opportunity to chase my dream, to get here at this moment,” Jones said.

Jones’ remarkable 17 seasons in the MLB included five All-Star appearances and 10 Gold Glove Awards. He is the first player born in Curacao to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, earning the nod on his ninth try on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America Ballot.

The long-time Braves center fielder will be joined by Jeff Kent, who was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in December, and fellow center fielder Beltrán for the Class of 2026.

“I’m happy. I’m proud of all the journeys that I have gone through – the good moments, the medium ones, the bad ones, because as a ballplayer, you go through ups and downs,” Beltrán said.

Beltran, who made it in on his fifth attempt, becomes the sixth Hall of Famer from Puerto Rico. His 20 seasons in the majors featured nine All-Star appearances and three Gold Glove Awards with seven teams, including the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Kansas City Royals.

“Thank God I was lucky to come up in an organization with the Kansas City Royals, next to George Brett, who was very passionate about sharing information, helping the younger players develop,” he said.

Beltrán declined to say what team will be on his hat for his plaque. The induction ceremony will take place July 26 at the Clark Sports Center.

“The player, or the person that I am now, baseball really has shaped the human being that I am today,” Beltrán said.

“I had writers that continued to believe in me and got me in there. And now we’re here,” Jones said.