Carlos Beltran
Carlos Beltran was the AL Rookie of the Year in 1999 with Kansas City, a nine-time All-Star (with four different teams) and has the eighth highest OPS in MLB postseason history at 1.021. Credit: Getty Images
POSITION: Outfield
SEASONS: 20 (1998-2017)
TEAMS: Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers
AVG: .279
HR: 435
RBI: 1,587
RUNS: 1,582
2B: 565
HITS: 2,725
STEALS: 312
OPB: .350
SLG: .486
WAR: 70.1
YEAR ON BALLOT: 2nd
LAST YEAR’S VOTING: 46.5% of ballots
If not for Beltran’s role in the Astros’ cheating scandal, one that cost him his Mets’ managerial career before overseeing a single game, the nine-time All-Star likely would cruise into Cooperstown. He’s one of only eight players with 300 homers and 300 stolen bases, and that crowd shrinks to six if you include the 2,500-hit club. Two of those six are Barry Bonds and A-Rod, but the list also has two Hall of Famers in Willie Mays and Andre Dawson, with Beltran’s 70.1 WAR easily edging Dawson’s 64.8 in that comp. (Steve Finley is the sixth.)
Beltran is the most successful base-stealer in history at 86.4% (min. 200 attempts). He also helped propel five different teams to the playoffs, with an October resume that includes hitting .307 in 65 postseason games, along with 16 homers, 42 RBIs and a 1.021 OPS. One of those was a World Series title for the 2017 Astros, whose cheating didn’t cost them the trophy but derailed Beltran’s future in the sport as the only active player at that time named in the Commissioner’s report.
Beltran has paid his debt for that, and with an otherwise brilliant 20-year run as a five-tool centerfielder, the Hall of Fame credentials are there.
-- David Lennon
