Tuesday night in Texas, Adrian Beltre got his 2,500th career hit. Leading off in the bottom of the second inning Beltre hit a single up the middle off of Detroit Tigers’ starter Drew Smyly instantly he joining a club of very elite players. It was also a great moment for the Rangers and their fans in what has been a disappointing season filled with injuries.
Beltre, however, has played better than ever this year and has showed no signs of slowing down. He went a perfect 4-4 on Tuesday night as the Rangers lost to the Tigers. Now nearing the mid-way point of the 2014 season he is batting .309/.353/.479 with eight home runs and 35 RBI.
Beltre is just the 97th player in MLB history to reach the 2,500 hits milestone. Other famous third baseman to reach the 2,500 mark are George Brett (3,154), Wade Boggs (3,010), Brooks Robinson (2,848), Chipper Jones (2,726) and Buddy Bell (2,514). Of those five players three of them, Brett, Boggs and Robinson are already in the Hall of Fame. Chipper Jones is not yet eligible to be voted in.
So it appears that Beltre is well on his way to Hall of Famer status. Really only one question remains that would guarantee him a spot in the HOF. Will he join the best of the best in the famed 3,000 hit club?
The math says yes. Beltre is 35 years old and has played in the league for 17 seasons. He was called up to the majors at just 19 by the Los Angeles Dodgers where he played for seven seasons collecting 949 hits. He spent the next six seasons with the Seattle Mariners and the Boston Red Sox collecting another 940 hits. Now in his fourth season with the Texas Rangers, Beltre has hit the number 2,503.
Beltre has averaged 173 hits per season over 17 seasons. Assuming he plays until at least the age of 38, barring injury or decline due to age, he can easily reach 3,000 hits and a full 20-year career at only 38 years old. That is pretty impressive and would almost guarantee him a spot in the Hall of Fame.