On July 26, 20-year MLB player Carlos Beltrán will be officially welcomed into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Beltrán will be among 354 elected members, along with fellow Class of 2026 inductees Jeff Kent and Andruw Jones.
Beltrán, 49, was voted in with 84.2 percent support in his fourth year on the Baseball Writers’ Association ballot, becoming the sixth Puerto Rican native among Cooperstown’s immortals. The former 1999 American League Rookie of the Year played for seven MLB clubs during his All-Star career, but he chose to have a Mets cap engraved on his Hall of Fame plaque. He is only the third player to do so in the Hall’s 90 years, following Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.
For seven of his 20 seasons, from 2005 through 2011, Beltrán starred for the Mets. In April, Beltrán learned that the Mets plan to retire his No. 15 before their Sept. 19 game against the Philadelphia Phillies. During the ceremony, he will also be inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, becoming one of 38 players, managers, and executives so honored in the Mets’ 64-year history.
Beltrán, speaking at an April 16 press conference at Citi Field in New York, said that “2026 has been incredible for me, and also for my family. The Hall of Fame, the Hall of Fame for the Mets, and now the number retired. I’m thinking about maybe a tattoo with 26. This would be my first tattoo.”
“But so happy, and honestly speaking, I’m so grateful for the relationships in baseball and having the ability to be around the team, and the opportunity to be around the organization.”
And another honor could come his way in October. With the Mets’ managerial job vacant come season’s end, Beltrán remains a strong candidate. Hired by the Mets as the franchise’s 22nd manager on Nov. 1, 2019, without ever overseeing one regular season game, after 76 days on the job, on Jan. 16, 2020, Beltrán and the club mutually agreed to part ways. Three days earlier, MLB had publicly released its report on the 2017 Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. Beltrán had played his final season with the Astros that season. He was the only player named in the investigation.
Six years later, with the Mets having new leaders in baseball operations, and new club owners, Beltrán appears to have his past with the Astros in his baseball rearview mirror. Since February 2023, Beltrán has been the special assistant to the general manager for the Mets. Given his closeness to the club’s front office personnel, Beltrán just may get a do-over when interviews are scheduled for the manager’s position. It’s a role that Beltrán clearly hopes is in the offing.
“I’m so happy with what I’m doing now with the Mets. To be part of the process to be talking to the players and coaches, and sharing information about game strategy. I’m so proud [Mets owner Steve Cohen] believes in me as an owner. In order to have opportunities in baseball you have to remain relevant. If you go away from the game, your opportunities will diminish a little bit. But managing is something I would love to try at some point, if God gives me the opportunity,” Beltrán told SportsNet New York on Jan. 20.
No player in MLB history has been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and named a team manager in the same calendar year.
The Mets’ record is 36–50 so far this season. When their struggles began, as far back as April 14, sports radio host Evan Roberts of WFAN in New York City was one of the first cheerleaders calling for Beltrán to replace the since-fired Carlos Mendoza as manager.
“He’s the choice. He’s the only choice. He’s the right choice,” Roberts said, adding that he is “annoyed” that the Wilpons, former Mets owners, “bent the knee” to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and fired Beltrán.
“He did not deserve to lose his job. He deserved to manage the 2020 New York Mets. Now, good for Carlos that he didn’t. It was the pandemic season and the roster was a mess.
“I’m not sure how it would have worked out, but it disgusts me that [former Astros manager A.J. Hinch] suffered a year basically, and he’s back and fine. [Bench coach Alex Cora] suffered a year, and he’s back and fine. And every single Astro got a slap on the wrist. They basically got nothing, except Beltrán.”
A Jan. 16, 2020 report by The Associated Press counters Roberts’ claim that there was pressure by anyone in the commissioner’s office for Beltrán to be fired. During a conference call, Jeff Wilpon (then Mets chief operating officer) said that the team heard in advance from “sources” that Beltrán wasn’t going to be suspended by MLB.
“I think the change was when the report did come out, how prominent he was on it,” Wilpon said.
Making two Hall of Fame speeches in the near future, having his No. 15 taken out of circulation by the Mets, and being considered for the club’s managerial job will make for an amazing few months to come for Beltrán.
