Carlos Beltran to become the third player in history to wear a New York Mets cap on Hall of Fame plaque

Carlos Beltran will go into the National Baseball Hall of Fame with a New York Mets cap on his plaque this summer between the two teams he played for during his career, the Hall announced Tuesday. It is a historic choice for the franchise, with Beltrán becoming only the third player ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Met, joining legendary pitcher Tom Seaver and legendary catcher Mike Piazza.

Although Beltrán played for seven different organizations over a nomadic 20-season career, his seven years in Queens were the highlight of his career. Beltrán thanked every team he played for in a statement released by the Hall, but added that his "greatest individual growth and success" came with the Mets.

Carlos Beltrán cements his legacy through his tenure in Queens

Over seven seasons with the Mets between 2005 and 2011, Beltrán established himself as one of the game's elite two-way players, cementing his status as one of the greatest center fielders of his generation. He made five of his nine career All-Star selections in New York and won all three of his Gold Glove Awards there. He saw basically the same offensive production as his output was just as staggering; he is still fifth all-time on the franchise list with an. 849 OPS and became one of the main pillars of the team's deep 2006 postseason runs.


It was far from the only option she considered when making the choice to wear the Mets cap. He started with the Kansas City Royals, winning the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year award, before winning a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017. But between the number of honors he received and his long and well-documented ties with New York, the Mets were the expected choice for his final resting baseball ground.

The class of 2026 prepares for the induction ceremony

The cap choices for the remaining members of the Class of 2026 were also decided by the Hall of Fame. The Braves' "A" will be present on any plaque for Andruw Jones; he spent 12 of his 17 seasons in Atlanta and is also regarded as the greatest defensive center fielder in history.

The induction ceremony will be held on July 26, 2026, at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. And for Mets fans, it'll be one of the few days on which they can jointly bask in their franchise's greatest history, with a player entering the most singularly exclusive club in sports.


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