As the New York Mets enter the final weeks of their dreadful 2026 season, Carlos Beltrán is working overtime to give fans something to look forward to. Beltrán, an All-Star outfielder who spent parts of seven seasons in Queens, entered the Baseball Hall of Fame last month with a Mets cap on his plaque. He’ll have his No. 15 retired on Sept. 19 in the team’s penultimate home game.
All signs point to the Mets naming Beltrán their manager this coming offseason, and he’s definitely ready for the opportunity. Just ask former Phillies second baseman Chase Utley, who drew the 2017 World Series champion’s wrath in a documentary clip released by SNY this past weekend.
The viral moment features Beltrán calling Utley a “dirty” player on the basepaths and suggesting that many around baseball felt similarly about the six-time All-Star.
“When you change your route or your path to hit somebody, that’s not clean,” Beltrán explained.
Utley had not responded to Beltrán’s comments as of publication.
Mets fans should love Carlos Beltrán’s comments about Chase Utley
Social media users understandably took issue with Beltrán’s comments, with some ignoring that he admitted to also being aggressive on the basepaths. During that same clip, he even acknowledged wanting to “kill” opposing catchers when home plate collisions were still allowed and encouraged.
The difference, at least in his eyes, is that Beltrán was trying to score a run. He felt that Utley went out of his way to injure defenders at second base, which the Mets infamously learned firsthand with Rubén Tejada during the 2015 NLDS.
The Ruben Tejada-Chase Utley game.
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 26, 2020
Game 2 of the 2015 NLDS starts RIGHT NOW! pic.twitter.com/Uj4iMY1zNw
And in fairness to Beltrán, he praised Utley as an overall player. The four-time Silver Slugger appeared on over 59% of Hall of Fame ballots last year and is on pace to join Beltrán in Cooperstown, potentially as soon as this coming cycle.
Beltrán’s candidness nonetheless left Mets fans fired up at the perfect time. Those who didn’t think things could get worse than last September’s collapse have instead watched the Mets endure what has become one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
Assuming that the Mets bring Beltrán back for a second try as manager, he’ll return to Queens with no shortage of problems. Francisco Lindor’s immaturity and alleged clubhouse behavior have cost him the fanbase’s support. Numerous former top prospects — most notably the trio of Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, and Francisco Alvarez — have taken significant step backs.
Make no mistake, though: We’re confident that the city of Philadelphia has circled May 4, 2027, on their calendar. That’s the next time the Mets play at Citizens Bank Park, and Beltrán has all but guaranteed quite a reception from Phillies fans.
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