As one of the main cradles of baseball talent, it is not surprising that year after year the Dominican Republic presents great candidates to win the main awards of the Major Leagues, as well as when it comes to inducting new members into the Hall of Fame. of Cooperstown.
In 2024, Quisqueya once again promises to bathe in the glory of the “Temple of the Immortals” in the best baseball in the world. This is thanks to the presence of Adrián Beltré, who made it to the ballot for the first time on this occasion and has sufficient credentials to receive his immortal plaque in the initial attempt.
When he retired in the 2018 contest, the former third base defender did so with a total of 3,166 hits, 636 doubles, 477 home runs, 1,707 RBIs and a solid offensive line of .286/.339/.480.
But in addition to establishing himself as one of the best hitters of his generation, the Santo Domingo native also accumulated a defensive WAR of 27, which ranks him 15th all-time regardless of position on the field.
Everything seems to indicate that this will be a very simple decision for the voters, who would be exalting the fourth Dominican player to the sacred temple in the last 10 years, following in the footsteps of Pedro Martínez in 2015, Vladimir Guerrero in 2018 and David Ortiz in 2022.
However, while Beltré is undoubtedly the clearest choice for election to the Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024, there are other options who also display resumes more than worthy of consideration.
One of them is Joe Mauer, the former Minnesota Twins catcher who also made it to the ballot for the first time this time.
Mauer, who won the American League MVP award in 2009, retired with six All-Star invitations and three Gold Gloves, along with three batting titles and five Silver Sluggers.
Another important alternative is Todd Helton, who fell slightly below the minimum number of votes required in 2023, when he obtained 72.2% of the votes (to be elected a player needs at least 75%).
Billy Wagner, one of the best relievers of all time, is in a similar situation to Helton, as he received 68.1% of the votes, which put him in a good position to try to enter the Hall of Fame in this new opportunity.
