Mariano Rivera, the career saves leader whose elegant efficiency helped the Yankees win five World Series, became the first player ever elected unanimously to the Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
Two other right-handed pitchers, Roy Halladay and Mike Mussina, also were elected, Halladay on his first try and Mussina on his sixth. Edgar Martinez, the longtime Seattle Mariners designated hitter, gained entry in his 10th and final year on the ballot. Halladay, a former ace of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies, died in a plane crash in 2017.
Rivera was named on all 425 of the ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, eclipsing the previous record percentage, 99.3, by Ken Griffey Jr. in 2016. Halladay received 85.4 percent of the votes, Martinez 85.4 percent and Mussina — a stalwart for the Baltimore Orioles and the Yankees — 76.7 percent. Candidates need 75 percent for election.
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