Carlos Beltrán’s push to enter Cooperstown gained buoyancy on Tuesday, but the polarizing center fielder still must overcome a shortfall to reach the Hall of Fame. Beltrán appeared on 70.3 percent of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballots released Tuesday,

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.

Carlos Beltrán is knocking at the door of Cooperstown. A steady increase in votes for the National Baseball Hall of Fame has the former Royal and longtime center fielder as close as ever to being elected in the coming year or two.

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.

Carlos Beltran was a close call as the Baseball Hall of Fame inductions were announced on Tuesday. Beltran fell about five percent shy of induction.

And Beltrán’s penchant for the game’s dark arts caught him up in the game in his final stop, Houston, where he finally became a World Series champion yet left with the stain of helping architect a sign-stealing operation on par with the Astros’ rivals – yet they had the misfortune of getting caught.

On Tuesday night, the National Baseball Hall of Fame will announce its Class of 2025. Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner are expected to hear their nam

The five newcomers, including Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 27, 2025, in Cooperstown, New York.

The Mets were represented by standout closer Billy Wagner in the Hall of Game’s class of 2025. Also on the ballot was former superstar outfielder Carlos Beltran. While he missed out on enshrinement this year, he is slated to lead the pack of candidates next season.

From no-doubt first-ballot stars to close calls, here's who should be preparing their Cooperstown speeches for each of the next five years.