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Yankees’ Carlos Beltran was pulling for Mets in World Series

Carlos Beltran is entering his third season with the Yankees.
Carlos Beltran is entering his third season with the Yankees. Photo Credit: Getty Images for FIJI Water / Bryan Bedder

Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran faced a conundrum while at home watching this year’s World Series.

After all, the 38-year-old first broke into the big leagues back in 1998 with the Royals, with whom he spent the first six-plus years of his career. After a brief stint in Houston in which Beltran tore it up in the postseason, he earned a huge payday with the Mets, though his tenure in Queens largely is remembered for nagging injuries and the series-ending strikeout against the Cardinals in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS. He holds no grudges against the Mets, however.

“I wanted the Mets to do well. I didn’t know anyone from the Royals that I played with,” Beltran told amNewYork at Lord & Taylor’s Guys’ Night Out in midtown on Thursday. “The guys that I played with were on the Mets, like Murphy, David Wright, [and] Lucas Duda. I was hoping the Mets would win it, and unfortunately it didn’t happen that way.”

Despite five All-Star appearances during six-plus seasons while with the team, he was traded away to the Giants before the 2011 trade deadline in the deal that landed right-hander Zack Wheeler in New York.

Now entering his third season in pinstripes, Beltran thinks very highly of the group the Mets have assembled.

“I believe they gave it a great ride, and now they have something positive to build on with such a good team that they have,” Beltran said. “I believe, this year, they’re going to be better.”