The Kansas City Royals era of the Blue Rocks brought several future All-Stars to Wilmington, but now the franchise can claim a modern Hall of Famer.

Carlos Beltran played all of 1997 and part of 1998 with the Class A Blue Rocks after being taken in the 2nd round of the 1995 Major League Baseball Draft, and proceeded to spend 20 seasons in the Majors.

A 20-year-old Beltran his .229 with 11 home runs and 46 RBI playing half his games in notoriously pitcher-friendly Frawley Stadium in 1997, adding another 5 homers in 52 games in 1998.

Later that year, Beltran played his first 14 games for the Kansas City Royals, launching a career that would take him to the Mets, Yankees, Cardinals, Astros, Rangers, and Giants.

Beltran hit 435 career Major League home runs with 1,587 RBI and a .279 batting average.

The 1999 American League Rookie of the Year went on to make 9 All-Star Games, win 3 Gold Gloves as an outfielder, and finish 4th in the 2006 NL MVP balloting after hitting 41 home runs and 116 RBI for the Mets.

Beltran joins former Phillies ace Robin Roberts as the only two full-time Blue Rocks to reach Cooperstown.

Roberts went 9-1 for the Blue Rocks in 1948, when they were a Class B Affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies in the Interstate League.

Baltran will go into the Hall of Fame this Summer alongside former Atlanta Brave Andruw Jones.

Former Phillie Chase Utley received 59.1% of the vote, with 75% required for election. 

Utley’s ex-teammates Bobby Abreu (30.8%), Jimmy Rollins (25.4%), and Cole Hamels (23.8%) will all remain on the ballot for next year.