Baseball Hall of Fame class 2018 announced

The Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2018 was announced on Wednesday night, and Chipper Jones, Trevor Hoffman, Vladimir Guerrero and Jim Thome were elected.

The Baseball Writers of America have made their selections for the Hall of Fame class of 2018, and four men have gotten the call to Cooperstown.

Outfielder Vladimir Guerrero, first baseman Jim Thome, third baseman Chipper Jones and closer Trevor Hoffman will be inducted come this summer, with Hoffman joining Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter and Goose Gossage as the only closers in the hall.

Jones and Thome both made it on their first attempts, putting them in ever rarer air. Jones played his entire career for the Atlanta Braves, winning a World Series with the club in 1995. Throughout his career, Jones made eight All-Star teams and hit .303 with 468 home runs and 1,623 RBI. The Florida native won the NL MVP in 1999 and was a batting champion in 2008, hitting .364.

Hoffman ranks second all-time in saves with 601, most of which came as a member of the San Diego Padres. The 50-year-old broke into the big leagues with the Florida Marlins when they were an expansion club in 1993 before going to the Padres later that year. He finished up with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009-10.

Guerrero got in the Hall of Fame on the second ballot, something that is well-deserved. The Dominican Republic product hit a remarkable .318 with 2.590 career hits, including 449 home runs and 1,496 RBI. The slugger was the AL MVP in 2004 and win the Silver Slugger award on eight occasions.

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Thome, one of the most underrated players of his generation, was elected on his first shot. Thome made the All-Star team on five occasions while playing for six teams throughout his career, all while compiling 612 home runs and1699 RBI.