Adrian Beltre signed this Topps extension in August, 1998 two months after his 20 birthday and just 34 games into his Major League career.
Soon he would establish himself as a premier fielder and as a top hitting third baseman.
Originally signed by the Dodgers, Beltre played seven seasons in Los Angeles from 1998-2004. From there he moved north to the Seattle Mariners and remained in the American League for the rest of his career.
Beltre’s final eight seasons of his career – all with the Rangers – helped define his career. During his time in Texas, Betre hit .304, slugged 199 homers and drove in nearly 700 runs. He also became a member of the 3,000-hit club and 400-homer club in a Texas uniform.
In 2014, Beltre set the All Time record for total bases by a third baseman, the least represented defensive position in the Hall of Fame.
His 27.2 dWar ranks second only to Brooks Robinson for players at his position. Betre earned five Gold Gloves, two Platinum Gloves, and was named the American League’s Wilson Defensive Player of the Year in 2012.
Offensively Beltre’s career numbers rank high on the all time list. He is 17th in hits, 11th in hits, 30th in homers, 24th in runs batted in, and 14th in total bases.
Beltre earned four Silver Slugger Awards and was in the top 10 among position players in Wins Above Replacement seven times. In fact, his 93.6 WAR ranks 27th all time.
Most believe it’s likely he’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.