Carlos Beltran to wear Mets cap in Baseball Hall of Fame

Carlos Beltrán is officially a Met for life.

The Baseball Hall of Fame officially announced its cap selections for the class of 2026, and confirmed that Beltran will, in fact, wear a Mets cap on his plaque. Beltran joins Mike Piazza and Tom Seaver as the third player in history to be officially enshrined as a Met.

It wasn't a stone-cold lock that Beltrán would go into the Hall as a Met, which makes this a notable announcement. But he did play some of the best baseball of his career in Queens. Beltran played seven of his 20 major league seasons with the Mets and earned five All-Star selections, three Gold Gloves, and two Silver Sluggers in that span. During that time, Beltran posted a .279 batting average, while averaging 22 home runs and 82 RBIs per season. His single best statistical season came in a Mets uniform, when he blasted a career-best 41 home runs and 116 RBIs and finished fourth in National League MVP voting.

“I didn’t do this alone,” Beltrán said in a press release. “Every team I played for shaped my journey, and I’m grateful to all of them. With the Mets, I experienced my greatest individual growth and success. I’m honored that my Hall of Fame plaque will feature the Mets logo, and I’m proud that every team I played for will be listed on the plaque.”

Beltran established himself as a clutch playoff hitter during two brief stints with the Houston Astros, and got his career started with the Kansas City Royals. But he played his prime years and put together his most productive campaigns with the Mets, which makes him a worthy addition to the pantheon of Met players to be inducted in Cooperstown.