Adrian Beltre's Hall of Fame induction is uniquely historic for the Texas Rangers

On Sunday afternoon Adrian Beltre officially became the third Hall of Famer to enter Cooperstown as a Texas Ranger, joining Pudge Rodriguez, who was inducted in 2017, and the strikeout king himself Nolan Ryan, who was the first Ranger to be enshrined back in 1999.

Beltre became only the 20th Hall of Fame third baseman and only the second to notch 3,000 hits (the other was George Brett). Beltre is also only the fifth Hall of Fame third baseman with over 450 home runs, exemplifying his uncanny ability to hit for power in his position.

Due to Beltre's uncommon ability to hit for both power and contact, he is the first ever third baseman to record over 450 home runs and 3,000 hits.

While Beltre was well known for his offensive ability, he was also a proficient defender and often regarded as one of the best defensive third basemen in the game throughout his career. He earned five Gold Gloves, with three of those coming during his time with the Rangers. Beltre ended his career with a .960 fielding percentage, which puts him among other elite third basemen throughout baseball history.

Beltre spent the last eight years of his career with the Rangers and arguably had the greatest campaigns while in Arlington after a massive resurgence. He was a prominent member of the Rangers for all eight years he was with the team, helping them reach the World Series in 2011 and the ALDS in both 2015 and 2016. Besides being praised for his abilities on the field, he quickly became a fan-favorite due to his joyful personality and constant comedic routines with shortstop and best friend Elvis Andrus.

During the ceremony on Sunday, Beltre acknowledged his time in Arlington and expressed his gratitude for his time with the Rangers organization. He thanked several of his old Rangers  teammates for making him feel welcomed and accepted, and also thanked the Rangers fans saying, “You have embraced me from day one. Like they say, everything is bigger in Texas, and you have shown me big love."

Beltre has officially been immortalized as one of the greatest third basemen (and overall players) of all time. He served as a constant reminder of how to play the game the right way with personality and flair. The Rangers organization should be honored to have a player like Beltre representing the organization for eternity.