Hall of Fame Case: Carlos Beltrán
There are 10 players eligible for induction into the Hall of Fame who have the Mets on some portion of their resume. Next up is arguably the best center fielder in team history and might have the strongest case based on his statistics.
Just as time has allowed some Mets fans to appreciate how good Carlos Beltrán was in New York, perhaps Hall of Fame voters will take a similar stance when taking into account the entirety of his career—especially what he did on the field.
In his first time appearing on the ballot in 2023, Beltrán got 46.5 percent. While there’s plenty of ground to make up, it bodes well for an eventual election.
The 1999 American League Rookie of the Year emerged on the national stage in the 2004 postseason, carrying the Astros to the brink of the World Series. He parlayed that performance into a long-term deal with the Mets. He arrived in New York with tremendous expectations, struggled through his first year, but finished as the best center fielder in franchise history.
The 2006 season is the defining one of his Mets career, for better or worse. He matched the team’s home run mark at 41, established personal highs in homers, runs batted in, doubles, and OPS+, and claimed his first Gold Glove Award.
During his 20 years in the big leagues, he spent the most time with the Mets. In those six-plus seasons, Beltrán showcased a five-tool ability: becoming the NL’s best defensive player at his position, making five All-Star teams, stealing 100 bases, hitting 149 homers in 3,133 at-bats and slashing .280/.369/.500.
He finished his career with stints in San Francisco, St. Louis, the Bronx, Texas, and Houston.
He had gained respect league-wide for his playing ability and baseball acumen. It’s what led him to be hired as the Mets manager in late 2019. But it was soon after he took the job that his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal two years before became evident. The two sides parted in the wake of that controversy. But re-hired for a new role within the Mets organization, he is rehabilitating whatever damage has been done to his reputation and that time passed may give voters a chance to take a fuller look at a long, successful playing career.
The Case for
If we’re going solely on WAR, Carlos Beltrán is the eighth-best major league center fielder of all time. He’s better than current Hall of Famers Andre Dawson, Richie Ashburn, and Duke Snider.
Beltrán is one of six players in MLB history with at least 1,500 RBI, 1,000 extra-base hits, 1,000 walks, and 300 stolen bases. Included in that list are Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb, and Tris Speaker. That’s pretty lofty company, as is being among five ever to hit 400 home runs, tally 2,500 hits, and register 300 stolen bases. Beltrán is alongside Bonds, A-Rod, Mays, and Dawson.
Try, if you will, to put that 2006 NLCS Game 7 at-bat aside. His postseason numbers are terrific: a 1.021 OPS in 256 plate appearances with 16 homers and 42 RBIs. That, and his October 2004 is among the greatest months any playoff performer has ever had.
To mitigate the participation in the cheating with Houston, you could say Beltrán already established this Hall of Fame-worthy resume before it all happened.
The Case Against
But the mere involvement in it, to some, can be cited as the reason to be held out. No matter what you think of the act or how involved you think he was, it is a situation that hovers over him.
Besides that, a main argument against him is that he never won an MVP. He was in the discussion in 2006, but ultimately came in fourth place. He was in the top 10 just twice. Award voting might be skewed now as we garner more appreciation for different statistical measures, yet these results still hold value in the minds of voters.
Another is the “bold type.” Beltrán never led his league in a single offensive category. He was among the NL’s top five in homers twice and was a runner-up in doubles once. Despite a balanced set of skills, 450 home runs and 2,750 hits with a batting average below .280 doesn’t rise to the level of Hall of Famer.
Final Thoughts
Has enough time passed that those who vote for the Hall of Fame will collectively come to terms with the blemish on his baseball career? It’s hard to say. No matter how you feel about that way of thinking, that a player’s viability for the Hall improves despite an unchanged resume, it is a factor. But of course, some voters don’t think he was a Hall of Famer regardless.
However you look at it, Beltrán has some obstacles to overcome if he’s going to be inducted. The cheating is nothing to take lightly, but it shouldn’t keep him out. His on-field abilities outweigh them. Carlos Beltrán is a Hall of Famer…and he may be wearing a Mets hat on his plaque.
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