Next up Carlos Beltrán. This is Beltrán’s third time on the ballot. The first time, he was on 46.5% of the ballots. Last year, he was on 57.1% of the ballots. When a guy gets that much of the vote early in his years on the ballot, he usually makes it to the Hall.
It will be interesting to see how long the Writers hold the grudge against him.
Carlos played for 20 seasons. In 2586 games, he hit .279/.350/.486 with 435 home runs, 1587 RBI, and 312 stolen bases. His 9,768 at-bats put him 39th all-time.
He made 9 All-Star teams, had MVP votes 7 times (but never made it higher than 4th), won 2 Silver Sluggers, and won 3 Gold Gloves. He has a 70.1 career bWAR and ranks 70th all-time among position players.
Beltrán played on teams that made it to the playoffs seven times. He hit .307/.412/.609 in 65 playoff games. And he was a World Series winner. That World Series team cost him some Hall of Fame votes, as that was with the trash can-pounding, sign-stealing Astros. Beltrán was named one of the masterminds behind the plan, and his teammates claimed he ‘intimidated’ some into going along with the scheme. The scandal cost him the manager’s job with the Mets. He signed a three-year contract with the Mets, but they parted ways after the MLB report.
Without the scandal, he’s an interesting candidate. He was never thought of as the best player in the game. He was fourth in MVP voting once. In other years, he finished 9th and 12th and then had four seasons. He ranged from 20th to 26th in the vote.
But he had the bulk numbers that would usually get a guy into the Hall. It depends on how you view the Hall. Is longevity and bulk number enough? Or do they have to be one of the best players in the league for a few seasons?
And, of course, do you believe cheating should excuse a player from consideration? How do you compare Beltrán’s cheating to Barry Bonds’ cheating?