Most likely Minnesota Twins players to get into the Hall of Fame next
The latest MLB Hall of Fame class was announced this week, with two former stars joining the hallowed halls of Cooperstown.
Fred McGriff, a five-time All-Star who led the league in Home Runs twice and won a World Series with the Atlanta Braves in 1995, had already been informed he'd be getting a bust back in December. The 16-member Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee unanimously elected McGriff ahead of this week's vote.
Scott Rolen, the former Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals third baseman who won eight Gold Gloves, was named to seven All-Star teams, and was the only player selected on this year's ballot. Rolen is one of 35 hitters all-time with at least 2,000 hits, 300 homers, and 500 doubles, and is remembered as being one of the best defensive third basemen of all-time.
With this year's class announced, fans now turn their attention to what next year might look like. Specifically, fans are wondering which of the great players they grew up watching might join McGriff, Rolen and the countless other MLB legends in Cooperstown.
Twins fans don't have to look hard.
Joe Mauer will see his name appear on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time in 2024. It's something that should bring endless amounts of joy to Twins fans all over, while also making us feel a little old. It seems like yesterday that Mauer was making his debut at the Metrodome, or trotting out under the night sky at Target Field.
To be fair, Mauer didn't retire that long ago. He played his last game on September 30, 2018 and retired in November. MLB players must be retired for at least five years before they can appear on Hall of Fame ballots, but Mauer's eligibility is more than just technical.
MLB Hall of Fame candidate: Joe Mauer
Twins fans will be quick to insist that Mauer is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but voters might not see it that way. Whether he gets in on the 2024 ballot seems to be beyond the point, though, as it's a matter of when Mauer gets a bust in Cooperstown and not if it ever happens.
Mauer's peak is among the best any catcher has had in the history of the game. During the five years where he was at the peak of his powers, Mauer won three batting titles, three Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, was named to four All-Star teams and won AL MVP.
Beyond the accolades, he was also a .306 career hitter, and his 55.2 career WAR ranks seventh among catchers all-time.
Numbers have always been King Daddy when assessing anything within baseball, but there's also rich text to consume when it comes to Mauer's narrative. He's a homegrown superstar in every sense of the term, having been born and raised in Minnesota before spending all 15 seasons of his career playing for the team he grew up rooting for. It's hometown hero romanticism worthy of inclusion in a Ken Burns documentary, and harkens back to a long gone era of random farm hands picking up a ball and turning into Honus Wagner.
Beyond where he contextually fits within the broader baseball narrative, Mauer is a full-stop Twins legend. In 50 years, images of him will be conjured up the same way Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and Kirby Puckett are today when remembering legends who are as much a part of the franchise's fabric as the jerseys on the backs of players.
Mauer might not get into Cooperstown in 2024 -- he'll need at least 75 percent of the vote to be elected -- but it feels like only a matter of time. Look no further than this year's class, with the meteoric ascension of Scott Rolen who had a similar career to Mauer's, for proof.
Other Minnesota Twins who could get into the Hall of Fame next year
Mauer isn't the only Twins icon who is up for Hall of Fame votes. Torii Hunter was on this year's ballot -- his fourth time being up for election -- but received only 6.9 percent of the vote. Francisco Liriano is eligible for Hall of Fame votes in 2025, but his case is unlikely to garner much support. .
Current BWWAA election rules state that a player who receives fewer than 5 percent of the vote is removed from all future ballots. Players who receive above the minimum but not enough to be elected can't linger on ballots forever, either. No player can remain on the ballot for longer than 10 years without being elected, or they will be removed.
That's a rule that has cut the chances of Twins greats like Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, and Johan Santana making the Hall of Fame, as all three received fewer than 5 percent of the vote and were removed from future ballots. That doesn't end their hopes of making it into Cooperstown, however, as the Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee can take players no longer on the ballot and elect them to the Hall of Fame. That's what happened with Fred McGriff, who was removed from the ballot in 2019 but was elected by the CBEPC this year.
So while Mauer is the next likliest Twins player to make the Hall of Fame, there's still hope for others.