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Predicting the 2018 Hall of Fame inductees

David Maxwell / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The 2018 Hall of Fame ballot was released on Monday with 33 potential inductees highlighted by 19 newcomers including Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Omar Vizquel, and Johan Santana.

Ballots will be mailed out to 430 voting members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America, who are responsible for selecting which players will be inducted. The results will be announced on Jan. 24, 2018.

In order to be inducted into Cooperstown, candidates must be named on 75 percent of ballots, which is no easy task. With that in mind, let's predict the 2018 Hall of Fame class:

Vladimir Guerrero

Vlad "The Impaler" appears on the ballot for a second time after just narrowly missing induction in 2017. Guerrero earned 317 votes and fell just 3.9 percent short of the required 75 percent needed and should easily make it this time around. The 2004 American League MVP retired after the 2011 season, having hit 449 home runs and posting a .931 OPS. He also appeared in nine All-Star games, won eight Silver Sluggers, and finished top five in MVP voting four times.

Jim Thome

Thome's first appearance on the Hall of Fame ballot should result in his induction and selecting him would be a worthwhile choice by BBWAA voters. Thome is one of just nine players in MLB history to reach 600 home runs, posted a lifetime OPS of .956, and hit more than 20 home runs in 16-of-17 seasons from 1994-2009. The five-time All-Star never won an MVP and only managed to win one Silver Slugger in 1996, but he's arguably one of the top power hitters of his generation.

Trevor Hoffman

Hoffman, like Guerrero, fell just short of being inducted in 2017, earning 74 percent of the vote. Hoffman's third appearance on the ballot should provide better results with him landing in Cooperstown next year. The owner of 601 career saves was the master of the changeup and used the pitch to perfection on his way to seven All-Star appearances and a stellar 18-year career in the bigs. Hoffman saved 40-plus games nine times.

Chipper Jones

Considered by some as the greatest switch-hitter of all time (Mickey Mantle fans may have something to say about that), Larry Wayne "Chipper" Jones was a joy to watch for the Atlanta Braves during his 19-year career and should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The 1999 National League MVP spent his entire career in Atlanta, appearing in eight All-Star games, winning two Silver Sluggers, and posted a career WAR of 85.0. He also hit a ridiculous .364 in 2008 when he was 36 years old to win a batting title and is the only switch hitter in MLB history with both a career batting average of at least .300 and 400 or more home runs.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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