Who was the first unanimous inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Mariano Rivera was the first unanimous inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2019, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America named him on all 425 ballots, giving him 100 percent support.

Rivera entered the Hall after a 19-year career spent entirely with the New York Yankees. He became baseball’s defining closer, leading MLB with 652 regular-season saves and adding 42 postseason saves. His signature pitch, a devastating cut fastball, helped him dominate late innings even when hitters knew it was coming.

The unanimous distinction is specific to the BBWAA election process. A player must receive at least 75 percent of the ballots for election, but no earlier candidate had received every vote. Derek Jeter came close in 2020, missing unanimity by one ballot. Ken Griffey Jr. received 99.32 percent in 2016, while Tom Seaver was elected in 1992 under a much different voting era.