Mar. 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Former outfielder Ken Griffey Jr throws out the first pitch prior to the game between USA against Canada during the World Baseball Classic at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Odds aren’t high that all five of these players end up gaining election in the same year. Only once in the history of the Baseball Hall of Fame has there been an election that yielded five new electees – 1936, the inaugural class which included Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson, and Honus Wagner.
The odds are technically not great that there will be four players who will exceed the 75% voting threshold, as that has only happened three times in history if we include the election results revealed this week. The prior two were in 1947 and 1955 and included the likes of Carl Hubbell, Lefty Grove, and Joe DiMaggio.
Griffey is a virtual lock to gain election in 2016.
Piazza appears to also be a very strong candidate.
Raines, Bagwell, and Hoffman all stand a chance. It’s far too early to wager anything there, but the addition of four players this year and three last has freed up a large share of votes that the BBWAA writers can push towards new deserving candidates. The three should all get in, it’s merely a question of when considering some of the names who will be coming up in future years for consideration.