3 Reasons why Carlos Beltran should be in the Hall of Fame

This year, Carlos Beltran found himself eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time. The 20-year veteran joins 13 other first-time nominees: Francisco Rodriguez, R.A. Dickey, Huston Street, John Lackey, Bronson Arroyo, Matt Cain, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jayson Werth, Mike Napoli, Jered Weaver, J.J. Hardy, Jhonny Peralta, and Andre Ethier.

"Baseball writers should not be responsible for election to the Hall of Fame. It’s already illegitimate without the all-time hits, home runs, and Cy Young awards winners. Let the current and former players vote. I’m sure ~90% of MLB alumni would consider Carlos Beltran a HOFer." - John Nucci

It's unclear which players will be selected for the Hall of Fame this year, yet Carlos Beltran is one of the most intriguing players on the ballot. The slugging outfielder enjoyed a productive career in the MLB. However, his involvement in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal in 2017 may make voters hesitant.

While he may not make it this year, here are three reasons why Beltran should find himself enshrined in Cooperstown.

1. Carlos Beltran's career resume

Throughout his career, Carlos Beltran has hit 435 home runs, 1,587 RBIs, and 2,725 hits, while maintaining a career .279 batting average. Carlos was selected to nine All-Star teams and won three Gold Glove Awards, as well as two Silver Slugger Awards. He was also named the 1999 American League Rookie of the Year.

"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

Although he is not at the top of any of the all-time statistics boards, he ranks ahead of many players already in the Hall of Fame. His 435 home runs place him 47th all-time, ahead of Larry Walker and Cal Ripken Jr. His RBIs rank him 41st all-time, ahead of Jeff Bagwell and Vladimir Guerrero. Lastly, his 2,725 hits rank him 62nd all-time ahead of David Ortiz, Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams.

While every player is elected to the Hall of Fame for various reasons, Beltran's stats prove that he belongs in the same sentence as others already enshrined.

2. His incredible postseason performances

Nicknamed the "New Mr. October" and "Señor Octubre", Beltran is one of the greatest postseason hitters in MLB history. During the 2004 playoffs, he scored 21 runs to set a record for the most runs scored in one postseason. The record still stands, but has been tied by Jose Altuve.

Beltran also holds one distinction over every other player to have at least 200 playoff at-bats. Of the 97 players with 200 postseason at-bats, only one player has a career OPS of over 1.000: Carlos Beltran.

3. MLB's response to the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal

Unlike Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds, Beltran's role in the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the MLB might eventually be forgiven...or at least forgotten. MLB punished Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow, but granted the players immunity in exchange for their open and honest testimony.

Was this fair? No. But given the response from the league in regards to the players, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, George Springer, and Carlos Correa will find themselves in the same boat as Beltran. The Astros were never stripped of their title, and while a cloud lingers over the franchise, nothing happened to the players involved.

"Carlos Beltrán presents a new question for Hall of Fame voters. What to do with a player who helped create the illegal electronic sign-stealing system used by the 2017 and 2018 Astros? @Ken_Rosenthal on why he's not voting for Beltran...for now." - The Athletic

While it may be an excuse, and he was part of the cheating scandal, there is a gray area unlike those players linked to PEDs. Beltran should eventually find himself enshrined in Cooperstown, it just might not be this time.