The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame class has been selected

The 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame class is official as Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton were elected on Tuesday afternoon.

Beltre was a no-doubter, going in with 95.1% of the vote in his first year on the ballot. His was a unique case, as Beltre was never an All-Star until his age-31 season. He toiled between Los Angeles and Seattle for over a decade, putting up some solid offensive numbers with great defense at third but never being one of the best players in the league.

He hit his stride with the Red Sox in 2010, however. In Boston, he hit .321/.365/.553 with 28 homers and 102 RBI and never looked back. He put up 42.4 fWAR in the final 9 seasons of his career while playing for the Rangers, winning 3 Silver Sluggers and 3 Gold Gloves in that time. He received MVP consideration in 7 consecutive years and appeared in 4 All-Star games.

He was an extremely fun player to watch, despite being a pest to the Athletics during his stint in Texas. His first-ballot election is well deserved.

Joe Mauer was also elected in his first year of eligibility. He garnered 76.1% of the vote, just surpassing the 75% threshold required for election. I'm a bit surprised it was this close, to be honest.

Mauer was a great player. He retired early, hanging them up after his age 35 season but in his 15 years in the majors, he hit .306/.388/.439 and was one of the best defensive catchers of his era. His time behind the plate was cut short after sustaining a concussion in 2013. His lingering symptoms pushed him to first base and DH for his last 5 years where he remained an above average player.

Mauer was a six-time All Star and won the 2009 AL MVP on the back of an incredible .365/.444/.587 slash line. As noted by Joe Sheehan, Mauer's .365 average that year remains the 3rd highest batting average in a season since the turn of the 21st century.

Mauer absolutely belongs in the Hall of Fame, and it's great to see him earn the honor on his first appearance on the ballot.

Todd Helton was finally elected in his 6th year on the ballot. He received 79.7% of the vote, second most behind Beltre. Helton played his entire 17-year career with the Rockies, posting 54.9 fWAR with a .953 OPS and 369 home runs.

During his 5-year peak in the early 2000's Helton hit .349/.450/.643, winning 4 consecutive Silver Sluggers and 3 Gold Glove awards. He was a 5-time All Star and won the batting title with a .372 average in 2000. His induction is long overdue.

Billy Wagner fell 5 votes shy of the threshold, earning 73.8% of the vote. Next year will be his 10th and final year on the ballot, and he should be able to make up the difference. Gary Sheffield fell shy of the mark in his final try, finishing at 63.9%.

Next years additions will include CC Sabathia and Ichiro Suzuki, as well as some fringe candidates in Dustin Pedroia, Felix Hernandez, and Ian Kinsler.