Another historic Hall of Fame class is landing in Cooperstown this weekend.

Four players elected by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) will be officially inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 29. Third baseman Chipper Jones and first baseman Jim Thome made it on their first time on the ballot; outfielder Vladimir Guerrero made it in on his second try and pitcher Trevor Hoffman on his third.

Jones led the way with 97.2 percent of the vote. Fellow first-timer Thome was named on 89.8 percent of the ballots. Guerrero made a massive jump from the near-miss of the year previous, going from 71.7 percent all the way to 92.9. And Hoffman, after just missing by a handful of votes, made it with a percentage of 79.9.

In addition, shortstop Alan Trammell and pitcher Jack Morris – both polarizing figures in the insular realm of Hall of Fame punditry – were voted in by the Hall’s Modern Era committee back in December.

Jones, Thome, Guerrero and Hoffman headed to Cooperstown

Jones, Thome lead newcomers on 2018 HoF ballot

Bagwell, Raines, Rodriguez headliners of Class of 2017

The inroads that statistical analysis has made into baseball coverage over the past decade or so are pretty remarkable. Advanced metrics have become a much larger part of understanding the game.

Bagwell, Raines, Rodriguez make up Class of 2017

Two more greats to grace the gallery at Cooperstown

It would seem that the voters for baseball's Hall of Fame have finally eased up the tight-fisted take on enshrinement that had hobbled the process for so long, with two more inductees made the grade this year. Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza will see their plaques go on the wall in Cooperstown this summer. That makes nine that have been elected in the past three years.

What will happen to the Hall of Fame?

This past weekend, the Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin and Chicago Cubs third baseman Ron Santo. Their entrance into the Hall brings the total number of players inducted to 236, with Larkin getting in by way of over 86% of the writers' vote (75% is required) and Santo receiving a long-overdue invitation to the Hall by way of the Veteran's Committee. Both of these men were exceptional players, more than deserving of the honor.

But there's a storm brewing a storm that will greatly shape the future of what is still considered to be the greatest Hall of Fame in all of American sport.