Baseball Hall of Fame tiers for active players: Who has helped their HOF case?

The streets of Cooperstown will belong to Carlos Beltrán, Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent this weekend. Their Hall of Fame Induction Day arrives Sunday, so we’ll be shining the spotlight their way all weekend. Stay tuned for all of that.But this is that “other” Hall of Fame column I serve up for you every July. It’s the one where we ask:Which active players will get to join those three men in the plaque gallery someday?This is the fourth year in a row I’ve asked that not-controversial-at-all little question. Shockingly, it has provided you thoughtful readers with an excellent opportunity to rant, rave and call me names that would never come out of the mouth of, say, Dora the Explorer. Thanks for the helpful input!The format remains the same. I’ll divide the players into tiers. Then I’ll offer some incisive thoughts on those tiers. Then I’ll see how quickly I can join the Witness Protection Program because I’ve noticed in the past that this column seems to make people very agitated. Ready for the fun to begin? Let’s go.

Justin Verlander

Max Scherzer

Mike Trout

Freddie Freeman