Former New York Mets great Carlos Beltran has gotten his call to the Baseball Hall of Fame, as the superstar outfielder is a part of the Class of 2026 by garnering at least 75% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) on Tuesday night.
Considered one of the most complete and devastating switch hitters of all-time, the center fielder played 20 MLB seasons with the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers.
He is expected to become just the third Hall-of-Fame inductee to don a Mets cap on his plaque, joining Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.
“On behalf of the entire organization, we are thrilled to congratulate Caros on receiving the highest honor in baseball,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen wrote in a statement. “One of the most dynamic players ever to wear a Mets uniform, Carlos combined rare power and speed with elite defense, setting a standard of excellence that endures today. Beyond his achievements on the field, his leadership, insight, and presence continue to shape our organization. It is a proud moment for Carlos, his family, and Mets fans everywhere.”
A nine-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner, Beltran 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.
Other notable honors in his career included the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year Award with the Kansas City Royals and two Silver Sluggers. His 86.43% career stolen base success rate is the best in MLB history amongst any player with at least 300 steals.
While he developed into a star in Kansas City, he became the hottest commodity on the free-agent market in 2004 when he hit four home runs in both the NLDS and NLCS with the Houston Astros, making him the only player with at least four round-trippers in two series in one season. He also became just the third player ever (Jim Thome, Duke Snider) to have multiple postseason series with at least four home runs.
The Mets came calling that winter with a seven-year, $119 million contract — the richest in team history. He dubbed his new club “the new look Mets,” after a significant swoon following a 2000 NL pennant, and delivered on it.
Beltran helped recruit Carlos Delgado to the Mets, and alongside a core that also featured David Wright and Jose Reyes, he helped lead the Mets to the 2006 NLCS, where he posted a .982 OPS in 10 games before narrowly falling to the St. Louis Cardinals.
It was Beltran who made the last out, looking at a curveball from Adam Wainwright in a moment that has provided a flashpoint to many Mets fans over the years.
While it was his only postseason appearance in Queens, he, without question, became one of the franchise’s all-time greats.
His induction was projected to be a foregone conclusion after he received 70.3% of the votes last year — a number of voters were hesitant about enshrining him for his role in the Houston Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal.
Joining Beltran in the Class of 2026 is Andruw Jones, who gets into the Hall on his ninth and penultimate year on the ballot. Another five-tool center fielder, Jones won 10 Gold Glove awards and hit 434 home runs.
Among players with 10 or more Gold Glove awards, only Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., and Mike Schmidt have more career home runs than Jones.
Having two center fielders in the same Hall of Fame class is as rare as it gets. Throughout the expansive history of America’s Pastime, only eight players at that position have been enshrined.
The two will join Jeff Kent, who was elected last month by the Contemporary Baseball Era committee, in Cooperstown for their induction ceremonies on July 26.
