Being elected to the Hall of Fame is arguably the biggest honor a baseball player can obtain.
And every now and then, a star in MLB will have such a dominant career that it’s clear before he even retires that he’s destined for Cooperstown.
There are several active players who currently fit that description.
Today, we’re going to look at a few American League standouts who are locks to make the Hall of Fame down the road.
We’ll rank the top three.
3. Justin Verlander
MLB fans haven’t seen Justin Verlander on a big-league mound since July of 2020.
That’s because the righty is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The last time we saw him over the course of a full season was in 2019, and he was outstanding.
In fact, he was quite literally the best pitcher in the AL that year, as he took home Cy Young honors.
It remains to be seen how the 38-year-old is going to perform once he gets back from surgery and takes the mound for his 17th season, but he has already accomplished more than enough to lock up a Hall of Fame bid.
He has earned eight All-Star selections, two Cy Young awards, an MVP award, ERA title, and World Series title.
He has a career ERA of 3.33, FIP of 3.41, and WHIP of 1.13.
Verlander also has 3,013 strikeouts to his name and a lifetime bWAR of 71.8.
One year ago today, @JustinVerlander threw the third no-hitter of his career 👏
(via @mlb)pic.twitter.com/ce1lE1h0ku
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 1, 2020
There’s no doubt that he’s headed to Cooperstown.
2. Miguel Cabrera
Newer MLB fans might not realize how dominant Miguel Cabrera was during his prime.
Years ago, this guy was arguably the best hitter on the planet.
He has the accolades to back up that claim.
Cabrera is an 11-time All-Star, two-time MVP, seven-time Silver Slugger, and four-time batting champ.
During the first 14 years of his career, he received MVP votes in every single season.
Over a 12-season span from 2005 to 2016, he went on an insane stretch in which he maintained a .326 batting average, .975 OPS, and 159 OPS+.
Miguel Cabrera gives the Tigers the lead with this 3-run bomb. No doubter. pic.twitter.com/7OgJsJ3BAJ
— Curtis (@Curtos07) June 29, 2016
He’s a career .310 hitter with a .920 OPS and 145 OPS+.
He has 502 home runs to his credit, and he’ll almost certainly reach 3,000 hits next season.
The Detroit Tigers legend also boasts a lifetime WAR of 68.7.
Today, Cabrera isn’t the player he used to be, but that’s okay.
He’s a future Hall of Famer without a doubt.
1. Mike Trout
Mike Trout has only played in 11 seasons at the MLB level, but he’s already a surefire Hall of Famer.
MLB fans were robbed of a real Trout experience in 2021, as he appeared in just 36 games.
But prior to the 2021 season, he had finished in the top five of AL MVP voting literally every year since his rookie campaign in 2012.
He’s constantly a factor in the race, and he has won the award three times.
He’s also a nine-time All-Star and eight-time Silver Slugger.
The former first-round pick has led the league in on-base percentage four times, slugging three times, OPS four times, OPS+ six times, and bWAR four times.
🌕 shot! 💪💪💪@MikeTrout pic.twitter.com/EyO3SuT5fs
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 15, 2018
He already has a career bWAR of 76.1.
Fans need to enjoy watching Trout while he’s still active.
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