Adrian Beltré ranks at the top of several all-time lists among third basemen, including most hits (3,166), plate appearances (12,130) and RBI (1,707). But maybe his combination of home runs (477), doubles (636) and Gold Glove Awards (five) says it best: No other non-outfielder in big league history has ever meshed offense and defense at those levels.
It was a formula that brought Beltré to the Hall of Fame.
Born April 7, 1979, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Beltré signed with the Dodgers before he was 16, which was against MLB rules. The Dodgers were eventually reprimanded by the league for the move but the team’s scouts proved to be correct as Beltré debuted in the big leagues less than three months after his 19th birthday.
Considered one of the game’s top prospects in his late teens, Beltré battled injuries and a near-fatal bout with appendicitis in his first few years before his breakout season in 2004 when he led the majors with 48 homers while hitting .334 and driving in 121 runs. The season came immediately before the winter where he became a free agent, and Beltré signed a five-year deal with the Mariners on Dec. 17, 2004.
“You enjoy playing against him because of his energy and that level of respect,” pitcher Huston Street said about Beltré. “He rarely does anything to celebrate himself.”
Beltré won the first of two straight Gold Glove Awards in 2007 but endured multiple stints on the injured list in 2009 and signed a one-year “prove it” contract with the Red Sox for 2010. Healthy again, Beltré earned his first All-Star Game selection and second Silver Slugger Award while hitting .321 with an MLB-high 49 doubles, 28 homers and 102 RBI.
Signing with the Rangers following that season, Beltré helped Texas win its second straight American League pennant and gained national attention when he hit three home runs in Game 4 of the ALDS vs. the Rays. Following that outburst, Beltré’s next home run came in Game 5 of the World Series, a game-tying blast that saw Beltré drop to one knee on a powerful swing that sent the ball over the left field wall at Rangers Ballpark. Texas went on to win that contest but fell to the Cardinals in seven games.
Emerging as a franchise icon, Beltré won Gold Glove Awards in 2011, 2012 and 2016 while leading the majors in hits with 199 in 2013. He finished seventh-or-better in the AL Most Valuable Player voting in four out of five seasons from 2012-16 and became just the third third baseman (following George Brett and Wade Boggs) to reach the 3,000-hit mark in 2017.
“You’re talking about a future Hall of Famer who likes being on the field and likes to play,” Rangers manager Jeff Bannister said as Beltré’s career came to a close. “(He) loves to play.”
When he retired following the 2018 season, Beltré had amassed five Gold Glove Awards, four Silver Slugger Awards and four All-Star Game appearances. Only Brooks Robinson has totaled more games at third base than Beltré’s 2,759.
