Fansided

These players are Cooperstown locks in the next five years

By David Salituro

SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 6: Barry Bonds #25 of the San Francisco Giants watches the ball fly during game three of the National League Western Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on October 6, 2002 at the Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California. The Giants won 8-3. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 6: Barry Bonds #25 of the San Francisco Giants watches the ball fly during game three of the National League Western Division Series against the Atlanta Braves on October 6, 2002 at the Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, California. The Giants won 8-3. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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The next five Baseball Hall of Fame classes are sure to contain some obvious choices like Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter, and some controversial ones like Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds.

The 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held this weekend, but it is not too early to forecast who is the next to get the call to Cooperstown. From certain first-ballot Hall of Famers to players who waited years to make it, the next five years will certainly see some interesting debate about who is deserving of joining baseball’s pantheon of great players. The most interesting debate: do known steroid uses like Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez belong in the Hall?

Here is a projection of what the next five Hall of Fame classes will look like.

Class of 2019

Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees (19 seasons, 652 saves, 2.21 ERA, first year on ballot)

The best closer in MLB history is a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer. Spending his entire 19-year career in Yankee pinstripes, Rivera was the stopper for a dynasty that won five World Series. He is the all-time saves leader, a 13-time All-Star and a World Series MVP. As great as he was in the regular season, Rivera was even better in the playoffs. In 96 playoff games he had a 0.70 ERA, the lowest in history for any pitcher with at least 30 innings. His 42 postseason saves are more than double that of the next closet player. No one made it to the Hall in a unanimous vote, but Rivera will be close.

Roy Halladay, Toronto Blue Jays/Philadelphia Phillies (16 seasons, 203 wins, 3.38 ERA, first year on ballot)

A two-time Cy Young Award winner and eight-time All-Star, Halladay had a remarkable journey on his way to being a staff ace. After nearly pitching a no-hitter in his second career start, he had to go all the way down to Single-A to rediscover his game. When he finally got back to the Majors, he was among the best and most durable starters for the next ten years. Four times he led the league in innings pitched, and seven times in complete games. Add to that resume a perfect game and a no-hitter in his first playoff game, and Halladay goes to Cooperstown on his first try.

Edgar Martinez, Seattle Mariners (18 seasons, 309 HR, .312 average, 10th year on ballot)

No full-time designated hitter has made the Hall of Fame, but Martinez will become the first. Martinez won two American League batting titles with Seattle in 1992 and 1995, the first since Joe DiMaggio to do so. Between 1995 and 2000 he never hit worse than .322 in a season and led the league in on-base percentage three times in that span. Martinez fell just short of making it to Cooperstown in 2018 with 70.4 percent. But history is on this side this time. In the past 22 years, every player who received at least 68 percent made it in the next year. That trend will continue with Martinez.

Falling short: Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling, Todd Helton

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