Major League Baseball (MLB) announced the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 with the four inductees all having relevant international baseball experience.
Jim Leyland managed the United States to a Baseball World Champion title, winning the World Baseball Classic 2017. He earned election to the Hall of Fame in December 2023 via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee process.
Leyland, 79, has managed 3,499 MLB games, winning 1,769. He earned three Manager of the Year awards (1990, 1992, 2006). He led three franchises (Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers) to the postseason and won the 1997 World Series with the Marlins.
Three All-Stars reached the required 75% quorum in the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting: Adrian Beltré: 366 votes, 95.1%, Todd Helton: 307 votes, 79.7%, and Joe Mauer: 293 votes, 76.1%.
Beltre, 44, is a four-time All-Star, a five-time Gold Glove third baseman and a four-time Silver Slugger award recipient. He had 3,166 career hits, 477 home runs and 1,707 runs batted in (RBIs). He made the 2006 World Baseball Classic All-World Team. He is the fifth Dominican elected to the Hall of Fame, joining Juan Marichal, Pedro Martinez, Vladimir Guerrero and David Ortiz. He is the only Dominican in the 3,000-hit club,
Todd Helton, 50, spent a 17-year career with the Colorado Rockies. He posted a career .316 batting average with 2,519 hits, 369 home runs and 1,406 RBIs. He received three Gold Gloves at first base, four Silver Sluggers Awards and appeared in five All-Star Games. He represented the United States at the collegiate level.
Joe Mauer, 40, has played 15 seasons for the Minnesota Twins and has a .306 career hitter average with 2,123 hits, 143 home runs and 923 RBIs. He is a three-time Gold Glove catcher, a three-time American League batting champion and the 2009 American League MVP. He received five Silver Slugger awards. He represented the United States at the U-18 level and was their starting catcher at the 2003 Olympic Qualifier and the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
The Hall of Fame Weekend is scheduled for 21 July at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York, USA.
