Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton have been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame and will represent its Class of 2024, as voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) and revealed on Tuesday evening.
This is the first time since 2020 when Derek Jeter and Larry Walker were chosen that a BBWAA Hall-of-Fame vote has resulted in more than one inductee.
Beltre headlines the class and garnered the most votes, accruing 95.1% of the nearly 400 ballots cast this winter in what was his first year on the ballot.
Playing from 1998-2008 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers, Beltre amassed 3,166 hits (18th in MLB history) and 477 home runs, becoming the only third baseman in MLB history to surpass both the 3,000-hit and 450-home-run plateau.
The four-time All-Star was also a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, a five-time Gold Glove Award recipient, and a two-time Platinum Glove winner.
He is joined by another first-year inductee in Mauer, who was one of the finest catchers of his generation during his time with the Minnesota Twins from 2004-2018. He is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles, which he did in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
There had been only four other instances in which a catcher won a batting title in MLB history.
During that 2009 campaign, he batted .365 with a 1.031 OPS, 28 home runs, and 96 RBI, which earned him the American League MVP. It’s atop his finest honors in a distinguished career that included six All-Star selections, five Silver Sluggers, and three Gold Gloves.
He is the only catcher in MLB history with at least 2,000 hits (2,123), a .300 career average (.306), and a .380 on-base percentage (.388).
Helton had to wait considerably longer than his Hall-of-Fame peers as this was his sixth year on the ballot. The Colorado Rockies star played his entire career in Denver from 1997-2013 where he was one of the purest hitters of his time.
The five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger hit .300 or better in 12 seasons, including a league-leading .372 in 2000. He recorded two consecutive seasons of at least 400 total bases in 2000 and 2001, becoming one of just seven players in MLB history to post two or more seasons with 400-plus total bases.
During a 10-year peak from 1998-2007, Helton slashed .333/.432/.585 (1.017 OPS) while averaging 30 home runs and 108 RBI. His career OPS of .953 ranks 23rd all-time while his 592 doubles rank 20th.
He finished his career with 2,519 hits and 369 home runs.
Reliever Billy Wagner, who spent three-plus seasons with the Mets in a brilliant career as a closer, narrowly missed election in his ninth year on the ballot by just five votes. Another former Met and Yankee, Gary Sheffield, missed out in his 10th and final year on the ballot despite hitting 509 home runs and garnering nine All-Star Game nods.
