One of the greatest players to ever put on a Texas Rangers uniform is heading to Cooperstown.
Adrian Beltre, who was on the ballot for the first time, was voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Tuesday, and it wasn't close. Beltre needed 75 percent of the vote to gain entrance into the Hall of Fame, but he received 385 of 404 votes cast by the BBWAA for 95.1%.
Former Twins All-Star catcher Joe Mauer and Rockies first baseman Todd Helton were also voted into the Hall of Fame on Tuesday. The induction ceremony will take place on July 21.
Beltre, who spent eight years with the Rangers, retired following the 2018 season after a stellar 21-year career in MLB. At the time of his retirement, Beltre ranked among the all-time leaders in doubles (11th, 636), games (14th, 2933), total bases (14th, 5309), extra-base hits (14th, 1151), hits (16th, 3166), RBI (25th, 1707), and home runs (31st, 477) and had the second most career hits of any non-U.S. native in history behind Albert Pujols. Beltre has since been passed by Venezuelan-born Miguel Cabrera, who had 3,174 career hits when he called it a career after the 2023 season.
Besides Beltre, the only other players ever with at least 3,166 hits and 477 home runs are Hank Aaron, Pujols, Cabrera, Willie Mays, and Eddie Murray.
Beltre was a four-time All-Star, five-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner and a four-time Silver Slugger winner. He had a .286/.339/.480 career slash line and the third-highest WAR ever among third basemen.
The Dominican native was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a 15-year-old in 1994. He spent seven seasons with the Dodgers' big-league club before departing for the Mariners in 2005. After spending five seasons in Seattle, Beltre played one season with the Boston Red Sox in 2010.
Looking for an upgrade at third base following their first World Series appearance in franchise history, the Rangers signed Beltre to a six-year, $96 million deal in 2011. And, boy, did they not regret it.
Beltre immediately became a key figure on the field and in the clubhouse, helping the club reach the World Series for the second consecutive season. His wide smile and fun-loving antics on the field made him a fan favorite.
In his time with the Rangers, Beltre hit .304 with 199 home runs and 699 RBI in 1098 games. During that span, he won three Gold Gloves, earned two Silver Sluggers, and was named to three All-Star teams.
The Rangers retired his No. 29 in 2019 and inducted him into the club's Hall of Fame in 2021.