Who Made the Baseball Hall of Fame This Year?

Congratulations to the newest members of the Baseball Hall of Fame! This year’s class features some of the greatest players in the game’s history. Who made the cut?

Introduction

This year’s Baseball Hall of Fame ballot featured some of the game’s all-time greats, making it one of the most hotly debated ballots in recent memory. With so many deserving candidates, who ultimately got the call?

The Candidates

There are several factors that go into whether or not a player is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. To be eligible, a player must have been retired for at least five years and must have played in at least 10 Major League seasons. Players can also be considered if they played in Major League Baseball for at least five seasons and were active as a player, coach, or umpire for at least 50 years. A player must also receive votes on 75% of the ballots cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America to be inducted.

This year, there were four new inductees: Derek Jeter, Larry Walker, Edgar Martinez, and Mariano Rivera. Jeter, who played his entire 20-year career with the New York Yankees, is the first player to be inducted unanimously. Walker, Martinez, and Rivera all spent time with different teams throughout their careers before ultimately retiring with the team they are best known for: Walker with the Colorado Rockies, Martinez with the Seattle Mariners, and Rivera with the Yankees.

The Voting

The Baseball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and interactive entertainment attraction located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York. The Museum’s mission is to “preserve baseball history, honor baseball’s heroes, display the world’s largest collection of baseball artifacts and educate generations of fans.”

In order to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, a player must first be nominated by a member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). To be eligible for nomination, a player must have played in at least 10 major league seasons, and have been retired for five years. If a player receives enough votes from the BBWAA (75%), they will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

This year, there were four players who received enough votes to be inducted:
-Derek Jeter: A shortstop who spent his entire 20-year career with the New York Yankees. Jeter is a five-time World Series champion and was named the World Series MVP in 2000. He is also a 14-time All-Star and five-time Gold Glove winner.
-Larry Walker: A right fielder who played for Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies, and St. Louis Cardinals. Walker was a seven-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner. He was also the 1997 NL MVP.
-Marvin Miller: The first executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966 to 1982. Under Miller’s leadership, Major League Baseball players gained free agency rights and increased salaries.
-Ted Simmons: A catcher who played for St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Atlanta Braves. Simmons was an eight-time All-Star and won one Silver Slugger award during his 21 seasons in the MLB.

The Results

The 2020 Baseball Hall of Fame class will be made up of 12 legends: catcher Yadier Molina, infielder Derek Jeter, right fielder Larry Walker, and nine pitchers — expansionist Curt Schilling, as well as Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, Edgar Martinez, and the late Roy Oswalt and Billy Wagner.

This year saw an impressive ballot debut for first baseman Fred McGriff, who garnered 71.7% of the vote in his 10th appearance on the ballot. Larry Walker also made a strong debut on the ballot this year, earning 76.6% in his first year of eligibility. Curt Schilling fell just shy of induction this year with 70.0% — he’ll have one more chance to make it in next year’s vote.

It was a banner year for first-time eligible players on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Pitchers Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez, and Mariano Rivera were all unanimously elected to the Hall in their first year of eligibility. Mike Mussina came very close to being a unanimous selection — he missed out by just two votes. Infielder Derek Jeter also cruised to an easy election in his first try, receiving 396 out of a possible 397 votes (99.7%).

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dave Winfield, Barry Larkin, and Alan Trammell were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year. Although there were many other great players who were deserving, these three men will always be remembered for their contributions to the game of baseball.