Beltran’s career moments

During the better part of seven seasons with the New York Metropolitans, Carlos Beltran hit .280, blasted 149 homeruns and drove in 559 runs. He also won three consecutive Gold Gloves in centerfield from 2006 to 2008.
Despite these impressive statistics, and his status as one of the greatest position players to ever play in Queens, Beltran’s Mets career will be defined by three factors: the called third strike in Game 7 of the 2006 National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the five missed postseasons during his tenure with club and the future career of Zack Wheeler, who the Mets obtained from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Beltran.
Wheeler was selected by the Giants in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft with the sixth overall pick. The 21-year-old is ranked the 35th best prospect in the minor leagues and the top pitcher in the Giants’ farm system by Baseball America, making him an excellent return for a two-month rental that had no logical reason to be on the Mets at this point in the season.
Before the trade, the 6-foot-4-inch, 185-pound Wheeler was 7-5 with a 3.99 ERA for San Francisco’s Advanced Class-A affiliate in San Jose. Despite a high walk rate, which can be fixed with maturation and coaching, Wheeler has a number of statistics that will make Mets fans’ mouths water.
He was fourth in the California League with 10.02 strikeouts per nine innings and fourth with a .224 batting average against. The hard-throwing right-hander, who has drawn comparisons to Pedro Martinez, has a devastating curveball and great movement on his fastball, which averages at roughly 94 mph.
When he finally makes it to the majors, he should also benefit from pitching in Citi Field, which will allow him to challenge more hitters with his fastball without the consistent fear of giving up a home run.
Wheeler appears to be well respected in baseball circles, and has already received several significant distinctions. He was chosen as a California League mid-season All-Star and was selected to play in Major League Baseball’s Futures Game last year.
The Mets received exactly what they coveted for Beltran: a young, powerful pitcher, who, along with Jonathan Niese and Matt Harvey, may very well represent the future of the team’s starting rotation.
Wheeler and Beltran will always be connected in the minds of Mets fans, and if the 21-year-old goes on to become a premier pitcher for New York, then many will think back on their former center fielder with greater fondness. The success that Wheeler is capable of achieving has the potential to overshadow Beltran’s failures, and positively classify both of their Met careers.