Adrian Beltre's top moments for the Texas Rangers

Adrian Beltre is one of the best third basemen to ever play in MLB. He is characterized by his longevity, playing 21 seasons, as well as his versatility by reaching 3,000 hits while racking up five gold gloves as well. The Texas Rangers were lucky enough to be his longest tenured team as well as the team he retired with. As a result of his incredible skill as a player and being later in his career as a Ranger, he reached some pretty incredible milestones during his time in Texas. There are many great Adrian Beltre moments, here are just a few.

Top Adrian Beltre moments from 2011 and 2012

In his first year as a Ranger, Beltre made his presence felt during the postseason. The Rangers played the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS in 2011 and in Game 4 of that series Beltre launched three home runs. All three home runs were solo shots, and the Rangers needed all three as they pulled out a 4 to 3 victory to clinch the series. Those three home runs also accounted for three of Beltre's four hits that series. He had only one hit across the first three games of the series before becoming a superhero for the Rangers in Game 4.

2012 was a truly incredible year in Beltre's career - it's very difficult to pick one moment from this season. Between a three homer game and a cycle in the same week and a gold and platinum glove though I would have to go with the latter. Those awards were his fourth gold glove and second platinum glove representing how much of a defensive stalwart Beltre was on the hot corner. Please enjoy this short highlight reel of some of his best defensive plays for further proof.

Next: 2013-15

Top Adrian Beltre moments from 2013 - 2015

Adrian Beltre's best moment from 2013 was being named captain of the Texas Rangers. It was significant because Beltre was just the third team captain the Rangers had ever had at the time. The two to proceed him were Buddy Bell in 1985 and Michael Young who is widely regarded as "Mr. Ranger" from 2005 to 2012. The combination of production on the field and veteran presence and maturity made Beltre a very fitting member to an exclusive club. It also solidified him as being in rarified air in Rangers history. There has only been one team captain since Beltre: Marcus Semien who was just given that title last season.

Beltre's best moment from the 2014 season was when he reached his 2,500th hit. Only 100 players in MLB history have reached 2,500 hits. He became the all-time leader in hits for Dominican born players in this same season as well, passing Vladimir Guerrero.

Adrian Beltre's cycle against the Houston Astros takes the top spot for his 2015 best moment. That cycle also took him to another level in a few different ways. He became the first player to hit for three cycles in the same ballpark - all three were at Globe Life, two as a Ranger one as a visitor. Beltre also became the only Rangers player to hit for multiple cycles. He truly had a special combination of contact and power.

Next: 2016-18