Where KC Royals’ Carlos Beltrán stands ahead of Hall of Fame voting reveal

By Tuesday evening, baseball will know its newest players immortalized in the halls of Cooperstown. Those watching the proceedings closely are looking out for Japanese legend Ichiro Suzuki pursing only the second unanimopus induction in Baseball Hall of Fame history. Another major storyline is how players linked to PED usage or accusations will fair, despite strong on-field performances many years ago. But, from a Royals fans' perspective, there is one big former Royal in the Hall of Fame race: former Kansas City Royals outfielder Carlos Beltrán.

Will former KC Royals star Carlos Beltrán join the Hall of Fame ranks?

Beltrán is one of several candidates hoping to hear his name called when the Hall of Fame class is announced. He and 2015 World Series champion Ben Zobrist represent former Royals on the ballot. While Zobrist’s case for enshrinement appears slim, Beltrán’s trajectory is heading in the opposite direction.

Hall of Fame ballots have been slowly made public for those who choose to do so, and Ryan Thibodaux’s Hall of Fame ballot tracker is a key tool to keep tabs on who stands where. As of Tuesday morning, Beltrán appears on 80.3% of ballots in his third year of eligibility, a significant jump from the 57.1% he received last year. If this holds, it would narrowly push him over the crucial 75% threshold required for induction.

A 20-year MLB veteran, Beltrán made his debut with the Royals back in Sept. 14, 1998. He served as a bright spot among some darker days for Royals baseball, while the club sank into mediocrity and lower. His Rookie of the Year campaign in 1999 recognized an outstanding year at the plate and in the field from the Puerto Rican, but one player can only do so much on the diamond. When his team control was nearly up with the Royals, there was hope that the team would do the sensible thing and extend him to a long-term contract. Alas, a mere $1 million was too far a bridge for the late owner, David Glass.

Kansas City traded Beltrán away midway through the 2004 season, and that was that. It would be 10 more years before Kansas City saw notable success once again, and it was just the first chapter in a great career from Beltrán.

The numbers speak volumes. Across 20 MLB seasons, Beltrán was a nine-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger. He became one of the greatest postseason performers in MLB history, recording a 1.021 OPS and 16 home runs in 65 playoff games. His crowning achievement came in 2017, when he captured a World Series ring with the Houston Astros. However, that title came with controversy, as the Astros' sign-stealing scandal during that season cast a shadow over their accomplishments and, to some extent, Beltrán’s legacy.

Despite the blemish of the scandal, Beltrán’s overall body of work is hard to ignore. His unique combination of regular-season excellence and postseason heroics places him among the game’s all-time greats. While Tuesday will reveal whether the voters agree, there’s little doubt that Beltrán’s contributions to baseball are worthy of recognition — even if it comes with a nuanced legacy. For Royals fans, his enshrinement would be a bittersweet reminder of what could have been but also a celebration of the franchise’s role in shaping a Hall of Fame career.