Three new names have been added to the prestigious Baseball Hall of Fame after the selection concluded on Tuesday.
The names of Adrián Beltré, Todd Helton, and Joe Mauer are now all etched in the sport's history forever, as they are now officially part of the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
They joined former Pirates, Marlins, Rockies, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland, who the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee voted in December.
Legendary former baseball players needed at least 289 votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame ballot.
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Adrián Beltré garnered the most votes with 366 (95.1 percent). Helton received 307 (79.7 percent), while Mauer had 293 votes (76.1 percent)
Billy Wagner fell short by just five votes as he got 284, while Gary Sheffield received 246 votes.
The inductees had spectacular careers and were very much deserving of the most recent honor.
Adrián Beltré (retired in 2018)
Beltré, who played 21 professional seasons, is known for his power-hitting and longevity. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and the Texas Rangers.
He made four All-Star selections and was given the Gold Glove Award four times.
Todd Helton (retired in 2013)
To be able to play for just one franchise is an achievement in itself. Helton donned just one jersey in his professional career-the Colorado Rockies.
He played for the NL Division club for 16 seasons, earning five All-Star selections, three Gold Glove, and four Silver Slugger titles.
His best year with the club was in 2000, when he won the NL Hank Aaron Award, became the MLB Batting Champion, and became the league leader in RBI.
Joe Mauer (retired in 2018)
At 40 years old, Mauer is among the youngest to make it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The title is currently held by Sandy Koufax, who was inducted at age 35 in 1972.
Mauer, who played all his professional years with the Minnesota Twins, was the 2009 AL MVP and made the All-Star six times. He is a five-time Silver Slugger awardee and became the American League's batting champion three times.
His jersey was retired by the Twins in 2019. He is the third catcher to make the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Almost, but not quite
Eight players did not receive at least five percent of total votes, so they will be dropped from future selections.
Wagner, a seven-time All-Star and is already in the Houston Astros Hall of Fame, can still make the Hall of Fame in the future.
So is Sheffield, who received 63.9 percent of the votes.
Alex Rodriguez arguably has the best profile among the nominees but only received 134 votes. Suspensions and links to performance-enhancing drugs allegedly taint the 14-time All-Star's standing.
Another player who regrettably did not receive enough votes is Manny Ramírez, who played for five teams in the MLB for 18 years: Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, and Tampa Bay Rays.
He only received 125 votes despite being a World Series champion two times and a 14-time All-Star, amongst many other accolades.
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