Carlos Beltran Makes a Decision on Hall of Fame Cap

The New York Mets have been around for over 60 years, but they are surprisingly light on representation in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza are the only players to go into the Hall with Mets caps, but that number will now grow by one as 2026 inductee Carlos Beltran will enter Cooperstown as a Met.

The Hall of Fame has announced the cap selections for the plaques of the Class of 2026:

Carlos Beltran: Mets
Jeff Kent: Giants
Andruw Jones: Braves
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 3, 2026

The Hall of Fame has traditionally weighed the player's considerations when it comes to hat choices and Beltran did indicate upon his election that the Mets were a strong option for his plaque. There were several other intriguing options to represent Beltran's career, including the Kansas City Royals (his first team) and Houston Astros (the team he won a title with), but Beltran entering the Hall as a Met certainly feels right.

News: Carlos Beltrán will enter Cooperstown with a Mets cap on his plaque.

"With the Mets, I experienced my greatest individual growth and success," Beltrán said. "I'm honored that my Hall of Fame plaque will feature the Mets logo."
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) February 3, 2026

During his career with the Mets, which spanned from 2005-2011, Beltran hit .280 with 149 home runs, 559 RBI, 551 runs scored, 100 stolen bases and an .869 OPS to generate a combined 31.1 Wins Above Replacement (via Baseball Reference). Beltran was an often underappreciated player as a Met, so seeing him recognize what the franchise meant to his career is certainly a good sign.

Carlos Beltrán, a man of many hats, ponders a career-capping question in Cooperstown by @TylerKepner for @TheAthletic: Mets? Royals? Logoless? Beltrán, who played for... <$> https://t.co/7dbwW1lhkz
— New York BBWAA (@NYBBWAA) January 23, 2026

Going in as a Met was not always a guarantee because Beltran could have opted to either support his first team in the Royals or go in without a logo, which has become a new trend for stars who made significant impacts on more than one team. One notable example of the no logo cap for a plaque is Greg Maddux, who opted not to choose between the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves when he was elected.

There have been plenty of other Mets-affiliated players to enter the Hall of Fame of late, including Jeff Kent (who spent an early portion of his career with the Mets) in this year's class and Billy Wagner in last year's. Those players went in representing other organizations, making Beltran's choice to be recognized as a Met for perpetuity quite notable.

Will The Mets Retire Carlos Beltran's Number?

The next question when it comes to Beltran is when the Mets will retire his number 15. Prior to the late 2010s, the Mets held a high bar for retiring numbers, requiring players to spend a significant portion of their career with the franchise and enter the Hall of Fame as Mets. That is why Seaver was the only Mets' player with his number retired for a long time before Piazza joined him in 2016, the year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The Mets have begun loosening the criteria for retired numbers in recent years, adding Jerry Koosman, Keith Hernandez, Willie Mays, Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry and David Wright to the rafters in recent years. Beltran has done something none of those players did by entering Cooperstown as a Met (although Wright remains on the ballot), which puts him in line with the franchise's initially strict criteria for honorees.

While the Mets initially took Wright's number 5 out of circulation upon his retirement, the franchise has continued to hand out Beltran's number 15 for years after his departure. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor currently wears 15 for the Mets and if he shows up to spring training with a new number, it could tip the Mets' hands about their plans to honor Beltran.

Beltran is a part of this year's Mets Hall of Fame Class, which could make it an ideal opportunity for the franchise to retire his number there. Bobby Valentine and Lee Mazzilli are also in that class, however, so it may make more sense for Beltran to have his number retired on a separate occasion.

Carlos Beltran, Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine have been elected into the Mets Hall of Fame, the team announced
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) November 13, 2025

The other consideration here may be if the Mets want to retire two numbers in one season, which is something to monitor since this season will mark the 40th anniversary of the 1986 World Series championship team. A celebration for that group should happen at Citi Field at some point this summer and it would make sense to honor them by retiring Gary Carter's No. 8, which has been out of circulation for the franchise since 2002.

Carter passed away before the Mets could retire his number, so the franchise has appeared to be more focused on retiring the numbers of players who are still alive to enjoy the moment with their families. Having the 1986 Mets there with Carter's family to retire Carter's No. 8 feels like a move the Cohens would love to do, so don't be shocked if that happens this season.

Cohen has not been shy about retiring numbers, however, having both Gooden and Strawberry's numbers retired during the 2024 season. It may be complicated logistically to plan a third date to retire Beltran's number, but this is a good problem for the Mets' organization to solve.

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Will The Mets Retire Carlos Beltran's Number?

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