Carlos Beltrán

Did You Know?

• Beltrán made the final out at Tiger Stadium on September 27, 1999, striking out against Todd Jones.
• He appeared in all four editions of the World Baseball Classic (2006, 2009, 2013, 2017) for Team Puerto Rico and was named to the 2017 All-World Baseball Classic team.
• Beltrán was originally a shortstop before moving to the outfield.

Professional career

The Kansas City Royals selected Beltrán in the second round of the 1995 Major League Baseball draft. He began in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, batting .276 with no home runs while hitting only right-handed. During the off-season, he taught himself to hit left-handed with advice from New York Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams and Royals minor league coach Kevin Long. He played for Spokane, Lansing, Wilmington, and Wichita before making his major league debut as a September call-up on September 14, 1998, getting a single in his first plate appearance. He never played in Triple-A. In 1999, he won the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter job, hitting his first home run on April 10. He moved to the #3 slot after the All-Star break and won the American League Rookie of the Year award, batting .293 with 22 home runs, 108 RBI, and 27 stolen bases, leading league center fielders in putouts and assists. Injuries limited him to 98 games in 2000, but he regained his form after Johnny Damon was traded. From 2001 to 2003, he batted .306, .273, and .307, with 24, 29, and 26 home runs, respectively, leading the league in assists and double plays in 2001 and in assists in 2002. In 2004, he was named American League Player of the Month for April after eight home runs and 19 RBIs.

Post-playing career

After the 2017 season, Beltrán interviewed for the New York Yankees' managerial position, but the team selected Aaron Boone. In December 2018, the Yankees hired him as a special adviser to general manager Brian Cashman. On November 1, 2019, the Mets hired Beltrán as their manager on a three-year contract with a club option, but on January 16, 2020, he and the Mets mutually agreed to part ways before he managed a game, after he was the only player implicated by name in the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal. He later worked as a game analyst for the YES Network and joined the Mets front office.

Personal life

Carlos Beltrán lives in New York City with his wife Jessica, their two daughters, and one son. His cousin Rey Fuentes played for three MLB teams, and his nephew Matthew Lugo was selected by the Red Sox in the 2019 draft. A Christian, Beltrán credited God after stealing his 300th base on June 15, 2012, when a cross necklace slipped from his jersey; he told a reporter that all the glory belonged to God. In 2004, he was among 24 athletes who signed a letter supporting George W. Bush’s reelection. Through his foundation, Beltrán set aside part of his salary to build a high school for young athletes. The Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy, on 20 acres donated by the local government in Florida, Puerto Rico, began construction in 2009. Beltrán contributed over $4 million, and the school opened in 2011. It serves students ages 14 to 18, with instruction from MLB players, and graduated its first class in June 2013. In 2017, Sports Illustrated gave him its first Hope Award for his relief work in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.