Top 10 Puerto Rican-born MLB players in honor of Roberto Clemente Day
By Manny Gómez
The 4th – 2nd ranked Puerto Rican born MLB players.
Roberto Alomar | 67 bWAR
Roberto Alomar is the second Hall of Fame player to appear on this list. He was inducted in 2011, which was his second ballot, by a vote of 90%. Mostly known for his defensive abilities, Alomar was much much more than that.
His career 2724 H is 4th most among Puerto Rican players, trailing Carlos Beltran by a single hit. His .300 AVG, as mentioned at the start of this piece, is the 2nd highest, behind none other than Roberto. Clemente himself.
A few more of his accomplishments include, 12 All-Star selections, 10 Gold Glove awards, FOUR Silver Sluggers, an ALCS MVP, and TWO World Series titles.
Ivan Rodriguez | 68.7 bWAR
Ivan Rodriguez (aka “Pudge”) was inducted into Cooperstown in 2017 on the first ballot with 76% of the vote. It is viewed as one of the more controversial inductions because Pudge was implicated in MLB’s steroid scandal of teh early 2000s. There is no direct evidence that Rodriguez cheated, however, therefore his status in the HOF should be viewed as legitimate.
In his career, Rodriguez has an MVP award, 14 All-Star selections, 13 Gold Glove awards, SEVEN Silver Sluggers, and NLCS MVP and a 2003 World Series ring.
Carlos Beltran | 70.1 bWAR
In terms of players I have witnessed playing, Carlos Beltran is without a doubt the greatest Puerto Rican player I have ever seen. At his peak, Beltran did everything extremely well and was considered an elite 5-tool player who can hit from both sides of the plate.
Like Pudge, Beltran was implicated in a cheating scandal of his own, the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. View this with skepticism, however, as he and Alex Cora, two former members of the Astros, were painted as masterminds by current members of the team.
His resume includes a Rookie of the Year award, NINE All-Star selections, THREE Gold Glove awards, TWO Silver Sluggers, and a 2017 World Series ring.