Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2024 that also includes manager Jim Leyland.
Beltré received 95.1% of the vote in his first year on the ballot, exceeding the 75% threshold needed for induction into Cooperstown. He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which included a stretch when he was teammates with current manager Dave Roberts.
The Dodgers skipper offered high praise for Beltré and said he separated himself from the rest of his former teammates, per Rowan Kavner of Fox Sports:
“I think with Adrián, like I think with all Hall of Famers, they’re just cut from a different cloth,” Roberts said. “You can look at skill sets from all these different guys and they’re all talented, but I think the common thread is they have a mindset of determination, of will, that people just can’t parallel or match.”
Beltré and Roberts were Dodgers teammates from 2002-2004, during which the team won 270 games and one National League West title. Over his time with the Dodgers, Beltré hit .274/.332/.463 with 176 doubles, 147 home runs and 510 RBI over 966 games.
He enjoyed his best season in 2004 — his last with the Dodgers — batting .334/.388/.629 with 32 doubles, an MLB-leading 48 home runs and 121 RBI across 156 games.
Beltré went on to sign a five-year contract with the Seattle Mariners as a free agent after the 2004 season. He also had stints with the Boston Red Sox (2010) and Texas Rangers (2011-2018) before retiring as a player.
His most success came with the Rangers, and he also had an outstanding season in Boston.
Dave Roberts: Adrián Beltré on ‘Mt. Rushmore of Teammates’
Roberts, who enjoyed a 10-year playing career, said Beltré is among the four best teammates he has ever had, citing his skill, baseball IQ and leadership.
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