Carlos Beltrán

Carlos Iván Beltrán (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaɾlos βelˈtɾan]; born April 24, 1977) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder from 1998 to 2017 for the Kansas City Royals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and Texas Rangers. A right-handed thrower and switch hitter, Beltrán stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall and weighs 215 pounds (98 kg).

Beltrán was the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 1999 while with the Royals. He was named to nine MLB All-Star Games and won three Gold Glove Awards and two Silver Slugger Awards. Beltrán was the fifth player to reach both 400 home runs and 300 stolen bases and just the fourth switch hitter with 400 home runs. He has the highest success rate in stealing bases (88.3%) of any major league player with 300 or more career attempts. He also joined the 30–30 club in 2004. In 2013, Beltrán was named the recipient of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award. He retired after the 2017 season, winning a World Series title with the Houston Astros.

Beltrán was among the best all-time statistical hitters in postseason games, which has earned him nicknames such as "the New Mr. October", "Mr. October, Jr.", "Señor Octubre", and "the real Mr. October" from the media. In 56 plate appearances during the 2004 playoffs, he scored 21 runs to set a record for most runs scored in one postseason (Jose Altuve has since tied the record).

Beltrán was revealed as the alleged master in the Astros' illegal sign stealing scheme during their 2017 championship season. The scandal broke in late 2019, after an investigation by league officials, the commissioner, and the media. Beltrán, who had recently been hired as the Mets' manager, stepped down without managing a game.