MLB Hall of Fame Vote: 5 key takeaways

MLB Hall of Fame 2017: 5 key takeaways from this year’s class

Apr 1, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Former Montreal Expos player Vladimir Guerrero salutes the crowd next to Tim Raines during a ceremony before the game between teh Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 18, 2016; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves special guest Chipper Jones (10) prior to the game against the Miami Marlins at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

1. The 2018 class could be a big one

As mentioned it the preceding slide, the baseball Hall of Fame is one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. It does seem, though, like some progress is being made to accept a wider range of players who have left a sizable impact on the game.

That's 12 players elected by BBWAA in last four years, most in any four-year period since the first four (1936-39).
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) January 18, 2017

Looking ahead to the 2018 class, the Hall of Fame could be getting as many as six new members. Hoffman and Guerrero are locks. First-ballot candidates Chipper Jones and Jim Thome are also very strong candidates. Neither had ties to steroids. Jones was the best hitter on the dynastic Atlanta Braves teams of the 1990s and early 2000s. Thome is one of only nine players to hit 600 home runs, and was popular with everyone in the league. That’s four sure-fire candidates.

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Next year could be the year for Edgar Martinez. There are three strong candidates coming off the ballot next year along with Lee Smith, who continued getting over a third of the vote up to his final year on the ballot. There will be plenty of free votes for the DH, and writers may hesitate to make him go all the way to his tenth time on the ballot. More gains for Bonds and Clemens could also follow. Same goes for the criminally underrated Mike Mussina.

It all adds up to a large class, which is a positive for baseball and its Hall of Fame.

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