Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton Have Been Voted Into The Hall Of Fame While Gary Sheffield Misses Out In His Final Attempt

Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer and Todd Helton each never won a World Series but they have gotten the rarest honor in all of baseball: being voted into the MLB Hall Of Fame.

It's pretty great to see Adrian Beltre be named on such a large percentage of the ballots. He was undervalued for so much of his career. Part of the problem was he was rushed to the Majors by the Dodgers when he was only 19. He finally put it together in his last year when he was 25. People unfairly said he was playing for a big contract but I think it just took that long for him to figure out the offensive side of the game. He was always a great defensive third basemen.

Beltre then went to Seattle for five seasons in a pitcher's park. He finished his career with 477 home runs. If he plays virtually anywhere but Dodger Stadium and Safeco for his first 12 seasons, I very much believe he ends up with over 500 home runs.

It's pretty remarkable how similar Joe Mauer and Todd Helton's careers were. Both guys played for the same teams for their entire careers. Both had averages of .306 or higher (Helton was .316) and each won batting titles (Mauer won 3). Both ked the league in OBP twice. Both played the last half dozen years of their careers as first basemen with depleted power. I do think both are fringe guys but both are deserving of Cooperstown.

John Leyba. Getty Images.

It took me some time to come around on both of them. It took years for me to think Helton earned a vote. I held being a Rockie against him and playing in Coors Field. But his road splits were still very good (.287/.386/.469). He also finished with a WAR over 60 and an OPS+ of 133. Both of those stats factor in playing in a hitters ballpark. This was his 6th year on the ballot but in his first year, he only got 16.5% of the vote. I guess it took time for almost everyone to come around.

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The Sporting News. Getty Images.

This was Gary Sheffield's last year on the ballot and while he didn't get in, he did get closer. I'm not sure if it will help his case with the Veteran's Committee voters. Sheffield claims he never knowingly took steroids but he was a BALCO guy and the book Game Of Shadows says differently. He was named in the Mitchell Report as well. The committee already denied Marl McGwire, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. I don't know if Sheff has a chance until those guys get in (ever?).

SCOTT ROVAK. Getty Images.

Billy Wagner just missed and next year is his last year on the ballot. I do think he gets in next year. Look at how his vote percentage have gone up. 

2019: 16.7%

2020: 31.7%

2021: 46.4%

2022: 51.0%

2023: 68.1%

2024: 73.8% (5 votes short)

More and more voters are seeing how impressive his rate stats are and how dominant he truly was. Early prediction for next year's class? I think you'll see newcomers Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia (both obvious locks) join Wagner. Could Ichiro join Mariano Rivera as the only 100% vote total guys in the history of Cooperstown? 

Finally, a quick look at the guys who are off the ballot for good. I already brought up Sheffield who was in his 10th and final season on the ballot but these players all didn't get the 5% needed to stay on the ballot: Jose Bautista, Victor Martinez, Bartolo Colon, Matt Holliday, Adrian Gonzalez and Brandon Phillips. Jose Reyes and James Shields didn't get a single vote.

Mark Buehrle, Francisco Rodriguez, Torii Hunter and David Wright all finished with under 10% but will be on that ballot next year with Ichiro, CC and Billy Wagner.

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I don't know when we'll have another year soon when you have multiple guys make the Hall playing their whole career with one team. It hasn't been easy being a Rockies or Twins fan these past 30 years but today must feel pretty great.