Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza are the only players in the Hall of Fame enshrined as Mets, but that list could be expanding.
Carlos Beltrán, who told The Post last summer that he plans to wear a Mets cap on his plaque if he’s elected to the Hall of Fame, will know his fate Tuesday evening when the Baseball Writers’ Association of America vote is revealed for the Class of 2026.
Advertisement
Access the Mets beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.
Beltrán last year appeared on 70.3 percent of the ballots cast. A candidate needs to reach the 75 percent threshold for induction.
Another player with New York ties, Andruw Jones, is a strong possibility to receive the call after last year appearing on 66.2 percent of the ballots. Jones played the final two seasons of his career with the Yankees. Beltrán also had a stint in The Bronx, where he spent 2 ½ seasons.
Over a 20-year major league career, Beltrán hit 435 homers and was selected to nine All-Star teams. He won three Gold Gloves and two Silver Sluggers. Beltrán played for the Mets from 2005-11 after beginning his career with the Royals and Astros.
Advertisement
“When he was on the field, he was always one of the best — if not the best — that was out there,” Hall of Fame closer Billy Wagner, a former teammate of Beltrán’s with the Mets, told The Post. “He was always in the thick of everything. He had a tremendous ability to stay calm at the plate a very high level.”
Beltrán, now in his fourth year of eligibility, might have seen his candidacy stalled following his involvement in the Astros sign-stealing scheme. Beltrán resigned as Mets manager — before he had even managed a game — as part of the fallout, but has since returned to the organization as a special assistant.
Mets’ Carlos Beltran smiles during an introductory baseball news conference in New York, Nov. 4, 2019. AP
Among the disappointments of Beltrán’s tenure in Queens was the called third strike he took with the bases loaded against Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright that ended Game 7 of the NLCS in 2006.
Advertisement
Largely forgotten is the fact Beltrán hit three homers in the series.
“We all had our moments in 2006 where we could have done something,” Wagner said. “But that was a heck of a series, and he played very well the whole series. It’s unfair to put that specifically on any one person. He had just been good the whole time.”
If Beltrán isn’t fully appreciated by the Mets fan base, it might be because the team failed to reach the World Series during his tenure.
“It’s not like when you are playing with the Mets that you aren’t dealing with the team next door,” Wagner said. “That’s always going to be your battle as a Met — the team next door has that many championships, so you are battling their championships.”
New York Mets right fielder Carlos Beltran lunges for the ball during the third inning of an MLB baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, April 22, 2011 in New York. AP
Jones won 10 Gold Gloves as the premier defensive center fielder of his era and hit 434 homers over a 17-year major league career. Jones was selected to five All-Star teams. He spent most of his career with the Braves and appeared in two World Series.
Advertisement
“He could change a game in so many ways,” Wagner said. “I don’t think [Tom] Glavine or [Greg] Maddux have the same numbers if Andruw Jones is not there.”
Others to watch on the ballot include Chase Utley, Andy Pettitte and Félix Hernández. Alex Rodriguez remains a long shot following his admission to using performance-enhancing drugs and a lengthy suspension for his association with a PED lab during his Yankees tenure.
David Wright received 8.1 percent of the vote last winter in his second year on the ballot. Candidates remain on the ballot for 10 years provided they secure at least five percent of the vote in a given cycle.
