Beltran chooses the Mets for his Hall of Fame plaque, honoring his greatest individual growth and success with the Queens club.
Outfielder Carlos Beltran was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this year, and he’s made his decision on which team will be represented in his plaque: the New York Mets.
“I didn’t do this alone. Every team I played for shaped my journey, and I’m grateful to all of them,” Beltran said. “With the Mets, I experienced my greatest individual growth and success. 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.”
Beltran’s Hall of Fame plaque will be unveiled prior to his introductory speech on July 26. Former outfielder Andruw Jones also reached the necessary 75% of votes on the Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame ballot last month. They join former second baseman Jeff Kent who was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.
Beltran spent seven seasons with the Mets after signing a seven-year, $119 million deal with the club ahead of the 2005 season. Beltran went on to become a five-time All-Star in a Mets uniform before being traded to the San Francisco Giants at the 2011 deadline. He enjoyed his best years in Queens and was the team’s best player during their 2006 campaign in which they came one win away from the World Series.
The best season of Beltran’s career came in that 2006 season, where he recorded an 8.2 WAR, won a Gold Glove Award and a Silver Slugger Award, and finished fourth in MVP voting. He went on to win two more Gold Glove Awards and one more Silver Slugger Award in a Mets uniform.
During his seven seasons in Queens, Beltran did enough to become the club’s seventh most valuable player in its history with his 31.1 WAR. Though New York only made one postseason appearance during Beltran’s time with the club, Beltran defined an era of Mets baseball. Along with players like David Wright, Johan Santana, and Pedro Martinez, Beltran led the Mets to four consecutive seasons of winning baseball, including 97 wins in 2006.
Though he put up great numbers where he started his career, with the Kansas City Royals, the Mets were the obvious choice for Beltran’s Hall of Fame plaque. He may have risen to stardom in Kansas City, but he reached his highest peaks donning a Mets cap. It’s the only correct choice for Beltran to be enshrined with the Mets logo on his head.