New York Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran has had quite a successful career. However, despite being 39, Beltran is not thinking about retirement just yet.
New York Yankees veteran Carlos Beltran has a long list of accomplishments to his name. Beltran has over 2,500 hits, 411 home runs, 311 stolen bases, and nearly 1,500 RBI. Beltran is a nine-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and twice won a Silver Slugger award. At 39 years old, with all of these accomplishments, it may seem plausible for Beltran to consider retirement.
But that’s clearly not on his mind. Beltran, who is in his eighteenth major league season, said he’d like to play two more. “I would love to play 20 ” Beltran said at the All-Star festivities, via the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Many players break down in their late 30s, once their prime is behind them. It’s the primary reason teams are wary of giving players mega-deals when they’re already in their 30s. However, Beltran is different. Beltran is having his best season as a Yankee, and his best personal season since at least 2013, his final season in St. Louis.
Beltran is hitting .299/.338/.550 in 83 games this season. He has 19 home runs, and 56 RBI. In 133 games last season, Beltran hit .276/.337/.471. Beltran has already tied his home run output from last season, when he finished with 19, and he is just 12 RBI shy of surpassing his 2015 total, when he knocked in 67.
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With Beltran playing so well, he was deservingly named an AL All-Star. Beltran has made nine All-Star appearances, but this is his first since 2013. If he can keep up this level of play, Beltran absolutely could continue playing. Often times, players get judged by their age — after all, the late 30s aren’t called “the wrong side of 30” for no reason in sports — but to solely look at Beltran’s age and assert that he should retire would be negligent.
Beltran’s motivation for continuing his career is quite simple and common: He has never won a World Series. In fact, until 2013, Beltran had never played in a World Series. He reached baseball’s biggest stage with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013, but St. Louis would go on to lose to the Boston Red Sox.
The desire to win a World Series drives Beltran, who has accomplished so much in the game but has not been fortunate enough to be on a championship team to this point.
If Beltran indeed plays another year or two, it may not be with the Yankees, but expect it to be in the American League. That way, Beltran can continue to transition to designated hitter, which he has done in New York, but he’s also had to give way to Alex Rodriguez at DH. Beltran has started 50 games in right field in 2016 for the Yankees, as opposed to just 26 starts as the designated hitter.
It remains to be seen if Beltran plays another two years, but with the type of career he has compiled, Beltran has made a case for the Hall of Fame, a discussion that will take place five years after his eventual retirement.