Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. They might someday be joined by a host of active players.
Major League Baseball’s current talent pool is impressive, largely because of the game’s international growth over the last couple of decades. As some potential Hall of Famers begin to wrap up their respective careers, younger players with immense talent are joining the league and attempting to carve out their own legacies.
It’s hard to picture what the Hall of Fame will look like in 10, 20 or 30 years. The Hall’s voting process has been heavily scrutinized over the last few years and performance-enhancing drug suspicions have tainted some candidates’ on-field accomplishments. Cooperstown is still a very prestigious place, though. Only the best of the best can call themselves Hall of Famers, and only the true elite enter Cooperstown in their first year of eligibility — like Maddux, Glavine and Thomas.
The Hall of Fame isn’t a guarantee for anyone. After all, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and many others who played during the Steroid Era once seemed like Cooperstown locks. But there are certain players in the game today who seem to have “Hall of Fame” written all over them.
The link below looks at 10 active players with the best chance to someday enter Cooperstown. Some of the players are obvious candidates, while others are still in the beginning stages of their incredibly promising careers.
Editor’s note: Alex Rodriguez, who is facing a lengthy suspension, was left off the list — as was Jim Thome, who hasn’t officially retired but is still looking for a team.
Click for 10 active players who could be Hall of Famers >>
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