Carlos Beltrán finds ‘closure’ with Mets fans as his No. 15 is retired

Carlos Beltrán, the former Mets center fielder, received a deeply emotional retirement of his No. 15 jersey on Saturday at Citi Field. The ceremony marked the ninth player to have his number retired by the Mets since 2020, and the seventh since the team was acquired by Steve and Alex Cohen. Beltrán, 49, reflected on the ups and downs of his 21-year MLB career, which included seven seasons with the Mets from 2005-11.

During that time, Beltrán earned five All-Star selections, won three Gold Gloves, and hit 149 home runs and drove in 559 RBIs, ranking eighth and seventh in team history, respectively. The retirement ceremony provided Beltrán with "closure" on his complex relationship with the Mets' passionate fan base. Initially, Beltrán struggled in Queens and faced chants and boos from the crowd, but his wife, Jessica, helped him understand that the fans were reacting to his performance, not him personally.

Now, Beltrán considers his time in New York to be among his best years, describing it as "my best years in baseball" and an important period for his growth as a player and person. The retirement of Beltrán's No. 15 jersey also had a positive impact on Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who credits Beltrán for providing comfort and guidance when Lindor first arrived in New York.