Carlos Beltran, who spent seven of his 20-year MLB career with the New York Mets, was officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday afternoon in Cooperstown, where he became just the third player whose plaque featured a Mets cap.
Considered one of the greatest center fielders of his generation, Beltran played for seven teams, garnering nine All-Star Selections and three Gold Gloves. He amassed 435 home runs, 312 stolen bases, and 2,725 hits in 2,586 games. It makes him one of just four players in MLB history with at least 1,500 runs scored, 2,700 hits, 400 home runs, and 300 steals, joining Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, and Alex Rodriguez.
He provided a bulk of those stats with the Mets over parts of seven seasons with the organization. In 839 games in Queens, he slashed .280/.369/.500 (.869 OPS) with 149 home runs and 559 RBI. He finished fourth in the National League MVP voting in 2006, when he became just the third Met in franchise history to eclipse the 40-home-run mark (41) to go with 116 RBI.
Beltran ranks third in franchise history with a 31.1 WAR, sixth in on-base percentage and slugging percentage, fourth in OPS, and seventh in home runs and RBI.
“When people ask me about why I chose this cap, it’s simple: Every organization shaped your career, but New York shaped my life,” Beltran said. “It was here where I experienced my greatest success and my greatest challenges. Playing for the Mets made me a better man and a better leader. Many of the most beautiful relationships that I was able to build in my career, I did it in a Mets uniform. The Mets cap represents growth and represents the place where I became the best version of myself.”
Known to have a rocky relationship with the fan base, Beltran has done his part to smooth things over in recent years, and continued to do so on Sunday.
“You challenged me, you let me know when I needed to be better,” he said. “And that was a lot of times I got to hear those boos. But I also appreciate your support along the way.”
Now 49 years old, Beltran remains involved with the Mets after controversy plagued his immediate post-playing career. He was named manager of the Mets in November of 2019, but let go less than two months later when he was the only player named in MLB’s investigation into the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal during the 2017. He serves as an assistant to president of baseball operations David Stearns, and has had a front-row seat to how things have changed within the organization under owner Steve Cohen, even if the product on the field has been abysmal this season.
“I know this year might not look pretty, but what makes me proud is the culture you’ve been able to create,” Beltran said. “Making players, families and employee values, especially myself. Having gotten to experience multiple chapters of the Mets’ organization, I’ve never been prouder to call myself a Met.”
For more on Carlos Beltran, visit AMNY.com
