Puerto Rico pride was on display last weekend as baseball legend Carlos Beltrán was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2026 in Cooperstown, New York.
Beltrán, who grew up in Manati, Puerto Rico is the sixth Puerto Rican to be included in the Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Roberto Clemente, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Alomar, Ivan Rodriguez and Edgar Martinez (who was born in New York but raised in Puerto Rico).
In his acceptance speech, Beltrán explained that “behind every player, there is a village of people,” adding that “there’s no doubt that I couldn’t accomplish this on my own.”
Major League Baseball reported that as he looked out at the large crowd of flag-bearing fans chanting, “Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico!” Beltrán pulled out a small Puerto Rico flag from his jacket pocket and waved it in the air.
“I love it. I love it,” Beltrán said afterward, reflecting on the day. “We’re proud, man. We’re proud people. And we’re a little island in the Caribbean, but full of passion, full of love, full of people with big hearts.”
“When I was growing up in Manati, Puerto Rico, many of these guys were teaching me the game of baseball,” Beltrán recalled during his speech, looking at the 59 Hall of Famers sitting behind him. “I know some of you guys opened a lot of doors and went through a lot of situations in your career. Then, my generation was able to walk through those doors because you opened the path for us. So I just want to say thank you for making this game better.”
“Next to this plaque, I see a God who never stopped showing me grace throughout my career,” he added. “I see my parents, who gave me their best. I see my brothers, my family, my whole family. I see my children. When I see this plaque, I see you, Jessica, who never stopped believing in me. I see my coaches, I see my teammates, I see my fans, my Little League coaches. I see the students of the Carlos Beltrán Baseball Academy in Puerto Rico, pursuing their dreams through education and baseball. I see my island, Puerto Rico.”
Of the numerous teams he played for, Beltrán chose a New York Mets baseball cap for his Hall of Fame plaque. “Playing for the Mets made me a better man and a better leader,” he explained. “Many of the most meaningful relationships that I was able to build in my career, I did it wearing a Mets uniform. It represents growing and represents a place where I became the best version of myself.
The Mets have announced that they will retire Beltrán’s number 15 and induct him into the Mets Hall of Fame in a September 19 ceremony.
