Back in the late 1990s, the Kansas City Royals had a can’t-miss prospect in Carlos Beltran.
He went on to have an amazing career as one of MLB‘s true five-tool players in the 2000s and 2010s.
His best years came with the New York Mets but also had good stints with the St. Louis Cardinals, the New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros.
Beltran could hit for a high average, had some serious power, ran like the wind, and was an elite defender in center field.
Numbers-wise, he had it all, too.
“Does Carlos Beltran belong in the Hall of Fame? 9x All-Star, World Series Champion, 1999 AL Rookie of the Year, 3x Gold Glove, 2x Silver Slugger, 435 Career HR, 2725 Career Hits,” FOX Sports MLB tweeted.
That’s the burning question: if it were just for the numbers and achievements, Beltran has what it takes to enter the Hall.
However, he was the only player in the league’s report of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal with the Astros.
He was one of the masterminds of the whole setup, and that will likely cost him some votes.
If the league managed to forgive manager AJ Hinch and Alex Cora, it’s probably time for Beltran to get a real shot at managing again.
He was a brilliant player and will probably make for a great skipper.
The league as a whole should at least consider Beltran a Hall of Famer.
What he did was wrong, but he apologized and lost a lot in the fallout of the scandal.
As of now, he is falling short of the goal:
But his name has appeared in more than half of the ballots.
He still has a chance and a lot of years left to enter if he doesn’t get in this time.
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