Only player in MLB history to be unanimously elected to the Hall of Fame on first ballot.

[Diamond_Dog]

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Mariano Rivera

A total of 12 Major League Baseball (MLB) players have received 95% or more of the votes on their first ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame:

Mariano Rivera: 100% in 2019
Derek Jeter: 99.7% in 2020
Ichiro Suzuki: 99.7% in 2025
Ken Griffey Jr.: 99.3% in 2016
Tom Seaver: 98.8% in 1992
Nolan Ryan: 98.8% in 1999
Cal Ripken Jr.: 98.5% in 2007
George Brett: 98.2% in 1999
Ty Cobb: 98.2% in 1936
Hank Aaron: 97.8% in 1982
Johnny Bench: 96.4% in 1989
Babe Ruth: 95.1% in 1936
Adrián Beltré: 95.1% in 2024

[Henry203]

1. Ridiculous

Look at all the people ahead of Willie Mays. The GOAT.

[Diamond_Dog]

4. Unbelievable!

[True Dough]

2. For Rivera,

I'll bet that vote came as a relief!

[Diamond_Dog]

3. lol. I see what you did there!

[ProfessorGAC]

5. That List Always Screams The Question...

...what kind of idiots are they letting vote.
Somebody voted against Ruth, Ryan, Suzuki, Griffey Jr., Seaver, Bench, Aaron....?
I can almost get Cobb. He was such a jerk he had enemies.
But, how could anybody not vote for Aaron?

[Diamond_Dog]

6. I wondered the same thing!

[George McGovern]

7. "Super Mario!"

[Diamond_Dog]

8. Indeed he was super! That's a great photo!

[Capt. America]

9. Whoever voted against Ichiro needs to be publicly flogged.

[Diamond_Dog]

10. Whoever voted against ANY of them!

And Ichiro indeed was Superman!

[Oeditpus Rex]

11. Personalities

figure into most voting for awards in sports, if not all, especially when sportswriters are the voters. A lot of sportswriters are assholes (I can say that, having been one), and they'll refuse to vote for a guy who's totally worthy because they didn't get along.