After not being elected to Cooperstown in 2023, will Carlos Beltran end up entering the Hall of Fame?
Carlos Beltran was not elected to the Hall of Fame in 2023. While he was the top newcomer on the ballot this season and certainly put up some selection-worthy numbers, his candidacy will surely make debate in the years to come.
On the pitch, Beltran’s case for a Cooperstown induction is solid. He is one of six players, and the only switch-hitter, to have 2,500 hits, 300 stolen bases and 300 home runs. He won three Golden Gloves as a central fielder. He hit .307/.412/.609 with 16 home runs in 256 postseason appearances, making the playoffs with five different teams.
This is where things get tricky: Beltran played a significant role in the Houston Astros’ signature-stealing scandal in 2017 and 2018, one of the biggest scandals in baseball history. In 2020, just three days after being embroiled in the cheating scandal, he was fired as Mets manager before even managing a single game.
Wasn’t Beltran punished enough?
Besides, it’s not like the Astros are the alone team that electronically stole signs, with the Red Sox making illegal use of their video room in 2018, according to The Athletic. Yes, Beltran was the Astros scandal leader. But AJ Hinch was the manager, Alex Cora was the bench coach, and Jeff Luhnow was the general manager. Everyone knew about it. All of them were those who needed to to put an end to it.
Prior to the scandal, Beltran was praised by teammates for his leadership and knowledge of baseball. He was one, if not the most popular player in baseball and someone that players young and old looked up to. This should not be overlooked in Beltran’s future candidacy.
Beltran has always been unlikely to be elected to the Hall of Fame in 2023. Perhaps as the years go by and the Astros scandal over signature theft recedes from the history of the baseball, voters will be more inclined to bring him into Cooperstown.
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