The former Met earned 84.2% of the vote on his fourth year on the ballot.
Carlos Beltrán was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his fourth year on the ballot after securing 84.2% of the votes from the BBWAA.
Beltrán was once considered a lock to enter Cooperstown in his first year of eligibility, but following his prominent involvement in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in 2017, he saw his standing with voters take a sizeable hit. The nine-time All-Star earned 46.5% of the vote in 2023 and 57.1% in 2024, but surged to 70.3% in 2025, falling just short of the required 75% but positioning him well for this year’s vote. It’s unclear whether Beltrán will wear a Mets hat, a Royals hat, or will go into Cooperstown with a blank cap on his plaque.
Signed by the Mets to a seven-year, $119 million in January 2005, Beltrán’s arrival signaled the start of a new era of Mets baseball alongside a core that included David Wright and Jose Reyes. Like many marquee players who signed with the Mets, he struggled in his first year in Queens, hitting .266/.330/.414 with 16 homers, 83 runs scored, 78 runs batted in, a 96 wRC+, and a 2.3 fWAR in 151 games. Despite earning an All-Star nod in 2005, that subpar season subjected Beltrán to boo birds early in his Mets’ tenure.
Beltrán quickly adjusted to New York, slashing .275/.388/.594 with 41 home runs (tied for most in a single season in franchise history at the time), 127 runs scored, 116 runs batted in, a 148 wRC+, and a 7.8 fWAR in 140 games in 2006. He was once again an All-Star and earned a Gold Glove award, a Silver Slugger award, and finish fourth in MVP voting. Unfortunately, he struck out looking to end the 2006 NLCS, and that image of him standing with the bat on his shoulders negatively overshadowed his positive contributions for the club and very unfairly affected his legacy in New York.
Beltrán never enjoyed a season quite as good as 2006, but his 2007 and 2008 seasons were still elite. He was an All-Star in both campaigns, won another Silver Slugger award in 2007, and earned the Gold Glove in both seasons, though the team suffered collapses that muted the joy of his accomplishments. Injuries held him to just 81 games in 2009 and 64 games in 2010, and he was eventually traded to the Giants during the 2011 season, netting the club right-handed pitcher Zack Wheeler. The centerfielder finished his career with the Mets hitting .280/.369/.500 with 149 home runs, 551 runs scored, 559 runs batted in, a 127 wRC+, and a 29.3 fWAR in 838 games. He ranks 17th in franchise history in hits (878), 12th in stolen bases (100), tenth in runs scored, seventh in home runs, RBI, and SLG, sixth in OBP, and fifth in OPS (.869). He is one of four Mets to ever win multiple Gold Glove awards, joining Keith Hernandez, David Wright, and Rey Ordóñez, and one of seven with multiple Silver Slugger awards, joining Wright, Gary Carter, Darryl Strawberry, Mike Piazza, Howard Johnson, and Francisco Lindor.
His Mets story also included an ill-fated managerial tenure; New York hired Beltrán to serve as the 22nd skipper in franchise history in November 2019, but they mutually parted way in January 2020 following revelations about his involvement in Houston’s sign-stealing scandal. That gave Beltrán the dubious honor of being the shortest-tenured Mets manager in franchise history. He returned to the organization in February 2023 as special assistant to General Manager Billy Eppler, and has stayed on in that role with David Stearns now at the helm.
Beltrán will be inducted into the Mets’ Hall of Fame later this season at Citi Field, alongside Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine. Mets officials have reportedly discussed retiring his number 15 following this announcement, according to Mike Puma, although the timing may be difficult with the 40th anniversary celebration of the 1986 team and the Mets Hall of Fame induction already planned for this season.
The Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will place on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Cooperstown, NY. Beltrán will enter Cooperstown alongside another former Met, Jeff Kent, as well as Andruw Jones.
Category: General Sports
