Rangers: Adrian Beltre’s late career resurgence speaks volumes about Hall of Fame resume, Albert Pujols says

Former Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre is likely headed to the baseball hall of fame tonight, and his good friend Albert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals legend and future hall of famer himself, spoke about how Beltre making it click later on in his career makes his story very impressive and interesting.

“It should be more impressive because of the way that he has done it — late in his career, it clicked for him, and he took advantage,” Albert Pujols said of Adrian Beltre, via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. “He recognized it, and he turned things around.”

Pujols then went into the relationship he has with Beltre since retiring, and how they bond over being Dominican-born.

“The best thing I love about Adrian is the relationship that him and I now have,” Pujols said, via Gonzalez. “I was just with him playing golf a couple of weeks ago in the Dominican Republic. I was with him in Dubai. I feel like we have built the relationship over the last two or three years, towards the end of his career, towards the end of my career, and that’s something that I love about us.”

When Pujols hit his 700th home run at Dodger Stadium in 2022, Beltre was right there in the front row, and the two shared a moment after Pujols rounded the bases.

It will no doubt be an emotional moment when the Rangers legend Beltre goes into the hall, as it will be in 2028 when Pujols becomes eligible, and likely gets voted in on the first ballot.