Carlos Baerga, Francisco Lindor, Edwin Diaz are 2025 ‘Puerto Rico’s Day at the Ballpark’ honorees at Citi Field

Carlos Baerga had plenty of accomplishments over a 14-year MLB career in which he was considered one of the best second baseman of the 1990s — and he’ll be the first to proudly list his accolades if you ask him

That includes several seasons as a .300 hitter with home run pop good enough to bat third on the 1995 AL pennant-winning team featuring a modern-day Murderer’s Row lineup of Hall of Famers Jim Thome, Eddie Murray and Dave Winfield, plus Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, Kenny Lofton and shortstop Omar Vizquel.

But Baerga, now 56, is immensely proud of his post-retirement achievements and status as one of the game’s elder statesmen, too — especially his involvement with baseball in his native Puerto Rico and a position with MLB that allows him to impart his knowledge and experience to young Latino hopefuls dreaming of breaking into the bigs.

His lifelong dedication to the game was celebrated this week at Citi Field in Queens, in a pre-game event honoring Baerga and current Mets stars from Puerto Rico, Francisco Lindor and closer Edwin Diaz. The “Puerto Rico’s Day at the Ballpark” event, hosted by Discover Puerto Rico, is a production of 21 Events.

For Baerga, the recognition helped to validate his long and varied career on and off the field both in and outside the U.S.

Besides his Major Leagues experience, which also saw him play for the Mets, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Red Sox and Padres, “I’m the only player in Latin America that owned a team in professional baseball in a league in Puerto Rico and also played with the team and managed the team,” Baerga said of the Santurce Crabbers. “And in ’04 won a championship,” says Baerga, the latter referring to the 2004-2005 title won by the Vaqueros de Bayamón of the Puerto Rican Winter League.

“But what I’m doing right now is very special. I work for MLB’s Play Ball, and … I go to different places in the United States, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela. I go to the clinics, I talk to the kids, and I talk to the parents about the importance of taking care of the kids and their lives from the beginning of their career, that it’s important to always be givng them good advice and don’t let them be by themselves.”

His wise counsel to the kids is an offshoot of his own experiences in the Majors, when his star started to fade after knee problems and too much partying pretty much derailed his career before he reached 30, he said.

“It cost me a chance to go to the Hall of Fame,” Baerga said about his one regret.

“That’s why I feel very very happy that I am helping a lot of kids.”

[Photo: Haydil Rivera of Discover Puerto Rico joins Citi Field ceremony with Edwin Diaz and Francisco Lindor of the Mets and Carlos Baerga (r.) Courtesy of 21 Events, Inc.]