Predicting the next 5 players who will be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame

Rolen received votes from 63.2% of voters in 2022, putting him within striking distance of the 75% needed for election. He's seen a meteoric rise from the 10.2% of votes garnered in 2018, his first year of eligibility on the ballot. Rolen was the 1997 National League Rookie of the Year Award winner, and went on to make seven All-Star teams and win eight Gold Gloves. The biggest question remaining for Rolen is whether his Hall of Fame plaque will feature him wearing a Phillies or Cardinals cap, with the possibility of a blank cap also in play.

As the ballot has cleared up, Helton has finally begun to receive the recognition that he deserves. The five-time All-Star got votes on 52% of ballots in 2022, his fourth year of eligibility. The three-time Gold Glove Award winner got just 16.5% of the vote when he debuted on the ballot in 2019, so he has some serious traction. If elected, Helton would become the second player to wear a Rockies cap in the Hall of Fame, joining his long-time teammate Larry Walker. If Helton was elected as a first basemen who never led the league in home runs but was a tremendous all-around hitter (.316 batting average, 2,519 hits, .953 career OPS), it would bode well for the future Hall of Fame prospects of Joey Votto and Freddie Freeman.

Beltrán may be the most difficult to figure out on this list. A nine-time All-Star with over 2,700 hits and the ninth-highest bWAR of all center fielders in MLB history, there's little doubt from here about his worthiness from a statistical sense. The only thing that could keep Beltrán out of the Hall of Fame is if he's penalized for his role in the 2017 Astros' sign-stealing scandal, which did cost him a chance to be the manager of the Mets. The guess here is that the further we get removed away from the scandal, the more voters will be willing to look past Beltrán's involvement in the scheme. Right or wrong, Beltrán will probably be elected in one of the next two classes. If Beltrán is elected, that probably is a good sign that other 2017 Astros -- mainly, José Altuve -- could be in the future.

Don't tell any former SportsCenter anchors who spend their days unsuccessfully trying to dunk on people on Twitter, but Mauer is one of the greatest catchers in MLB history. While he did spend a sizable chunk of his career either at first base or DH, Mauer won the 2009 American League MVP as a catcher, won five Silver Slugger Awards as a catcher and made six All-Star teams as a catcher. A .306 career hitter, Mauer will make his first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2024.

One of the greatest third basemen in MLB history, Beltré is also slated to first appear on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2024. Beltré finished his 21-year career with 3,166 hits, while winning five Gold Glove Awards and two Platinum Glove Awards, setting him up to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. As one of the greatest players in Rangers history, Beltré would join Pudge Rodriguez and Nolan Ryan as players to wear a Texas hat in Cooperstown.