Carlos Beltrán

Carlos Ivan Beltran was born on April 24, 1977, in Manati, Puerto Rico. He started his career as a shortstop and switched to centerfield at age 15 when a teammate on his youth team missed a game. By his senior season in the spring of 1995, scouts knew about him, and several teams were interested in drafting him.

The Kansas City Royals selected Carlos in the second round of the June ’95 draft and assigned him to their team in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League. A right-handed hitter and thrower, the 18-year-old acquitted himself quite well in his first year of pro ball—despite still learning to speak English.

Since establishing his foundation, Beltrán began a fund with part of his salary, intending to establish a high school focused on developing young athletes. Mr. Beltrán values include teamwork, dedication, respect and hard work, which have all helped him become an internationally recognized major league baseball player.