Dominican third baseman Adrián Beltré was elected to the Cooperstown Hall of Fame alongside Joe Mauer and Todd Helton, as announced by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). The official induction ceremony is set to take place on Sunday, July 21, at the Clark Sports Complex in Cooperstown, New York. Beltré, Mauer and Helton will be joined by manager Jim Leyland, who was elected by a committee of eras.
During his 21-season career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers, Beltré recorded impressive stats with a .286 batting average, 477 home runs, 636 doubles, 1,707 RBIs, 1,524 runs scored, and 3,166 hits. Notably, Beltré became the only third baseman with over 3,000 hits and more than 450 home runs in Major League history.
In addition to his impressive offensive performance, Beltré was recognized for his compelling defensive ability, having received the Gold Glove award five times and the Platinum Glove once. He joins an exclusive group of Dominicans who have received such accolades in American baseball, including Juan Marichal, Pedro Martínez, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., and David Ortiz.
Mauer, who spent 15 seasons with the Minnesota Twins, was the 2009 American League Most Valuable Player and a three-time batting champion. Meanwhile, Helton completed his 17-year career with the Colorado Rockies, hitting .316 with 369 home runs, 1,401 runs scored, and 1,406 RBIs. He also secured a National League batting championship in 2000.
The number of players to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame has now risen to 19 third basemen and 19 catchers, reflecting a diverse representation of baseball talent. This year’s election saw Beltré receive an impressive 95.1% of votes – the highest in history for a Latino player.
Other notable vote recipients include reliever Billy Wagner and outfielder Gary Sheffield, while Dominican-born players such as Alex Rodríguez and Manny Ramírez also gained significant attention in the voting process. Ultimately, Beltré’s percentage of votes ranks as the second highest in history for a Latin American player in their first Hall of Fame appearance, following only Mariano Rivera, who entered with a perfect 100% vote.
This year’s induction ceremony will see the addition of Beltré, Mauer, Helton, and Leyland, as they join an elite group of baseball talents recognized for their outstanding contributions to the sport.