Carlos Beltran will officially be the third member of the Baseball Hall of Fame to wear a New York Mets cap on his plaque.
“With the Mets, I experienced my greatest individual growth and success,” Beltran said in a statement after the Hall of Fame’s announcement. “I’m honored that my Hall of Fame plaque will feature the Mets logo, and I’m proud that every team I played for will be listed on the plaque.”
Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza are the only other Mets in the Hall of Fame.
Fellow inductees Jeff Kent will wear a San Francisco Giants cap, and Andruw Jones will represent the Atlanta Braves. They will be officially inducted on July 26.
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 experienced much of his peak over parts of seven seasons with the Mets. 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.
For more on Carlos Beltran and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
