Top 5 future Hall of Fame players currently in MLB

Just over 1% of MLB's most gifted elites grace the halls of Cooperstown's finest. To be admitted into "the hall" requires talent, health, and longevity. Simply being good isn't good enough. Even some of the greatest in today's game won't crack our. Here are the top five players destined for MLB Hall of Fame honors when their careers come to an end.

Top 5 future Hall of Famers among active MLB players

#5 Miguel Cabrera

Baltimore Orioles v Detroit Tigers

It's important to bear in mind that the top of this list is reserved (mostly) for those who have already put up Hall of Fame-worthy numbers. Miguel Cabrera certainly belongs, having flirted with Triple Crown numbers and posting a lifetime MLB batting average of .310. As a member of the 500-home run club with a tally of 505, "Miggy" is doing amazing things at age 39, and with a .293 average, he could reach yet another .300 season.

#4 Justin Verlander

Division Series - Tampa Bay Rays v Houston Astros - Game One

It just doesn't seem fair to hitters that Justin Verlander is still striking out MLB players half his age. As he approaches 40, he still consistently throws 96mph gas.

"Justin Verlander, 2 First Inning Backwards K's" - @ Rob Friedman

Father Time just can't seem to put a stop to the Houston Astros ace's dominance in the MLB. Much like one other pitcher on this list (slight spoiler), he's still putting up otherworldly numbers that don't fit with his age. At 39, Verlander boasts a 2.03 ERA to go along with 55 strikeouts in 57 inings. In over 3,000 innings, he's amassed 3,068 strikeouts, good enough to average over a strikeout per inning while recording a 3.30 lifetime ERA. With numbers like this, his spot in the Hall of Fame was reserved long ago.

#3 Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals

Albert Pujols gets #3 on this list because of all he has already accomplished in his soon-to-be Hall of Fame career. With his resume, there's no question Albert Pujols is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. You'd be hard-pressed to find a player better than Albert Pujols at the peak of his career. In his first 12 seasons, he never hit under 30 home runs. Of those 12 seasons, he hit 41 home runs or more six times and only hit below .300 twice, the worst of which being .285 in 2012. He could've retired several seasons ago and would still be a first-ballot induction into Cooperstown. He's currently knocking on the door of 700 career home runs with 683, and his .296 lifetime average is a power/average combination that only the coveted few possess.

#2 Max Scherzer

Max Scherzer of the New York Mets

Max Scherzer is the only other pitcher outside of Verlander on this list who seems to age like a fine wine. The older he gets, the better he becomes. Up until his most recent injury, at the age of 37, Sherzer was...well..Scherzer, posting a 2.54 ERA while ringing up 59 batters, averaging well over a strikeout per inning. For Scherzer, that's just another day at the office as he's registered a sub-3 ERA in nine of his last 10 seasons. These numbers are right on par with his Hall of Fame-caliber 3.12 lifetime ERA and eye-popping 3,079 strikeouts through just 2,586 innings of work. Cooperstown is simply waiting for his retirement to get his name on the ballot.

#1 Mike Trout

Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels

Since breaking into the league as a baby-faced 19-year-old, Mike Trout has been the most consistent elite player the MLB has seen in a long time. With a current lifetime average of .305 and over 300 home runs to his credit, he's already put up a worthy resume for Cooperstown. We've become so spoiled with his greatness that we take for granted the opportunity to witness the career of one of the greatest of all time. His effortless swing epitomizes the picture-perfect combo of power and average that has dazed us throughout his entire MLB tenure.

"Mike Trout crushed this" - @ ESPN

For a long time, Trout has been a personal pick to break Barry Bonds' all-time home run record. Don't think it's possible? Well, there's one statistic that says there's a good chance. Trout, who is 30, already has 323 career home runs to his name. Bonds didn't reach that mark until age 31. With nearly half of his career remaining, he has the opportunity to break MLB records we thought would never be broken. Put simply, Trout is the best player in baseball, and has been for quite some time.