Adrian Beltre Hall of Fame 2023 case: Why Rangers icon deserves induction into Cooperstown

Adrian Beltre has already cracked the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame and will get his first shot at having his name enshrined in Cooperstown. He joins players like Joe Mauer, Chase Utley, Matt Holliday, and others in their first year on the ballot.

Beltre was a fan favorite with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers. He was feared on the field for his glove and power on the plate.

Beltre played from 1998 to 2019. He finished his career hitting .286 with 477 home runs, 1,707 RBIs, 3,166 hits, and a 93.5 WAR. The only other third baseman that has a higher WAR than Beltre? The Human Vacuum himself, Brooks Robinson.

Adrian Beltre has also turned 523 double plays at third base, ranking second-most in history. Brooks Robinson also stands ahead of Beltre here. His 5,182 career assists at 3B rank him third in history.

Even if Beltre were horrible defensively, he would still have a case to make the Hall of Fame. He has 12 more hits than George Brett, and his 477 home runs rank him third all-time.

A look into Adrian Beltre's early life

Colorado Rockies v Texas Rangers

Adrian Beltre was born in the Dominican Republic in 1979. His father was friends with Felipe Alou, who had a 17-year career in the big leagues and managed the Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants.

Despite the connection, Beltre did not start playing baseball until he was 12 years old. He was more of a basketball and tennis fan but had a change of heart when watching Ken Caminiti of the Houston Astros play third base.

After developing over the years, he signed a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers at 15 years old. This was an illegal deal, and the Dodgers were fined $200,000 for the incident, but Beltre got to stay with LA.

It would take some time for him to get established, but once he did, there was no looking back. Beltre had one of the most fascinating careers at the hot corner.