Unique facts about the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame class

On Sunday, Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer and Jim Leyland received their formal inductions into Cooperstown. Here are a few unique facts about the Hall of Fame class of 2024. 

Adrian Beltre is one of the best two-way players ever 

Over 21 major league seasons, Beltre was the dictionary definition of a two-way player. Now, rightfully in Cooperstown, he'll go down as one of the best the game has ever seen.

Only 10 players have recorded at least 3,000 hits, 1,700 RBI and 450 home runs. However, Beltre is just the fourth to earn five or more Gold Glove awards, joining Willie Mays (12), Dave Winfield (7) and Carl Yastrzemski (7).

Not bad for a player who wasn't an All-Star until his 13th MLB season. 

Joe Mauer struck out only once in high school 

Before carving a path to Cooperstown, Mauer was arguably the best player in the country at Cretin High in St. Paul, where he struck out only once over 222 at-bats. Meanwhile, the future MVP capitalized on the contact he almost always made, batting an incredible .567.

A year after his lone high-school strikeout, Mauer was selected No. 1 in the MLB Draft, going on to earn six Silver Slugger awards, three batting titles, three Gold Gloves and an MVP Award. Fittingly, in a full-circle moment, he reunited with his arch-nemesis, Paul Feiner, in 2023 before being inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame. 

Todd Helton is among the most clutch hitters in baseball history 

Helton is one of only seven players in MLB history to record at least 369 home runs and 1,406 RBI while finishing with a batting average of .316 or higher. But, while his prowess at the plate is well-known, his ability to come up in the clutch may be understated.

Worthy of the Hall by numbers alone, Helton was arguably one of the best pressure hitters in baseball history. In two-strike counts, he ranks second all-time in batting average (.258), on-base percentage (.345), slugging percentage (.426) and OPS (.771), with 129 home runs (24th) and 548 RBI (7th). 

Few matched Jim Leyland's success and longevity 

Leyland was known for burning a dart or two in the dugout and for his notorious run-in with Barry Bonds. But, along with the gruff, old-school exterior was a manager who simply got it, exemplified by a long, successful career that few managers have replicated.

Leyland managed for 22 years, winning three pennants and a World Series while earning 1,769 career victories with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, Colorado Rockies and Detroit Tigers. Meanwhile, he is one of only five managers in baseball history to win 700 or more games with two or more franchises, the Pirates (851) and Detroit Tigers (700), joined only by Sparky Anderson, Bruce Bochy, Terry Francona and Tony La Russa.