by Daniel Tran
Mariano Rivera became the first player ever to be unanimously elected for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Many feel this precedent is good for Rivera’s former teammate and 2020 Hall candidate, Derek Jeter. He was the best player on one of the most dominant teams of his era and if anyone were to be unanimously selected, it would be him. Others feel he was great, but not great enough to garner that kind of honor. What do you think?
Derek Jeter was supposed to be the first player to be unanimously voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after Ken Griffey Jr. failed, but Mariano Rivera became the first inductee with that distinction. That's OK; he can get it in 2020 anyway.
The Yankees legend defined the most storied franchise for an entire generation. He has five World Series Championships, 14 All-Star selections in 20 seasons, one World Series MVP and a career .310 batting average. The Captain deserves the honor of being the second unanimous Baseball Hall of Fame selection.
Many thought a unanimous Hall of Fame selection was impossible, especially after Ken Griffey Jr. was unable to pull it off. But Mariano Rivera proved to be the exception and for good reason.
The Panamanian native is the greatest closer of all time. With a single pitch—the cut fastball—he finished with 652 career saves, an MLB record. He also holds the record for most games finished and ERA+. Those are extraordinary accomplishments Jeter just doesn't have relative to his position.
Jeter isn’t considered the greatest at his position and while he was a great player, he doesn’t have mind-boggling numbers like his former teammate. He is worthy of a first-ballot selection for sure, but not a unanimous one.
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