Will Adrian Beltre Join “The Sandman” in a Prestigious List That Even Derek Jeter Couldn’t Qualify For?

Every baseball player dreams of becoming a Hall of Famer. After years of toiling and playing for their teams, a HoF induction is an honor that makes everything worth it. Only a privileged few earn the title of a Hall of Famer, and an even more exceptional rarity is the opportunity to receive a unanimous 100% of the votes. Till now only one person has ever got that many votes. It’s the New York Yankees legend Mariano Rivera. But could the baseball world see another such instance with one of the top newcomers, Adrian Beltre, who is entering the ballot this year?

Beltre is widely considered being one of the best third basemen in the history of the sport. MLB fans and experts believe Beltre can make a run for that elusive first ballot 100% voted Hall of Fame induction. But what validates such a strong speculation?

Adrian Beltre – a certified baseball icon

Adrian Beltre was one of the most consistently excellent players during his time. Playing for teams like the LA Dodgers, the Seattle Mariners, the Boston Red Sox, and the Texas Rangers, the 4x All-Star has garnered numerous achievements. The now-5x Gold Glove awardee had his one of the top-tier numbers in 2004 with Dodgers when he hit 48 home runs. It was the most HRs in the National League that year. But during the ultimate phase of his career in the Rangers, he went on a consistent statistical overdrive. That was when he had four 30+ home run seasons with an average of .304 from 2011 to 2018. All of this led to the Lone Stars retiring his No. 29 jersey and inducting him into the team’s Hall of Fame.

In 2024, Beltré will make his debut on the ballot, boasting an impressive career, with 3,166 hits and 477 home runs over 21 years. Beltre stands among an exclusive group of only four players in history who have achieved a remarkable combination of at least 3,000 hits, 400 home runs, and five Gold Gloves. With 93.5 WAR, he ranks third in WAR among third basemen,

While Beltre’s impressive achievements unquestionably make him a strong candidate for a first-ballot Hall of Famer, the elusive 100% voting threshold remains the ultimate aspiration. Even the esteemed Derek Jeter fell just short of this milestone, securing 396 voters out of 397 votes in his final tally, missing the unanimous vote by a mere one vote.

Read more: With Rumors of a 6-Year Contract with Fox Sports, Has Derek Jeter Officially Said Goodbye to His Yankees Front Office Role?

So is there anything that can potentially stop Beltre from getting 100%? It could be the fact that in his illustrious and long career, he never won the World Series. Although that certainly doesn’t diminish his achievements, it is to be remembered that Rivera and Jeter both won 5 World Championships in their careers. So who has got the highest votes in the ballot till now?

Top 5 votes in Hall of Fame Ballots

While “The Sandman” is the only one with 100% votes, the others are pretty close to him as well. Derek Jeter had 99.74% votes, Ken Griffy Jr. had 99.2%, Tom Seaver got 98.84%, and Nolan Ryan had 98.79%. Adrian Beltre can certainly join them as he’s had a career that warrants that. But if he manages to get 100% votes, he’ll be creating history and forever immortalizing himself in the history books alongside Mariano Rivera. That would certainly be a sight to behold.

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