Jim Thome elected to MLB Hall of Fame’s 2018 class

It was pretty much a lock the moment he retired in 2012, but it’s official now: Jim Thome is a Hall of Famer. Thome, along with Vladimir Guerrero, Chipper Jones, and Trevor Hoffman, make up the 2018 Hall of Fame class.

Thome’s name received a check mark on 89.9 percent of the 422 ballots cast, the third-highest of the 2018 class. Fellow ‘90s Indians star Omar Vizquel came in at 37 percent — enough to stay on the ballot, but far from guaranteing a future induction.

In an illustrious career that spanned 22 years, seven teams, and multiple trips to the World Series, Thome amassed 612 home runs (good for 8th on the all-time home run list), 69 fWAR, and a blazing 19 stolen bases. Thome’s patience at the plate also landed him 23rd all-time with a 16.9 percent walk rate.

Thome will be the 15th player to be inducted with the Indians or Cleveland Spiders being his primary team, and it’s only a few years until he’s joined by Michael Martinez.

The touching moment when Thome’s election first became official was posted by the Indians on social media, along with a great recap of his career: