There are few players in baseball history of whom it can be said unequivocally that they were the best ever at their position, but among them is longtime New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, and today he became the first unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame.

Rivera, baseball’s all-time leader in saves and a 13-time all-star, was named on all 425 ballots cast by 10-year members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

He heads a four-player contingent elected to Cooperstown.

Also gaining election were two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay, the late ace of the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies; longtime Seattle Mariners designated hitter Edgar Martinez, one of the most feared hitters of the 1990s; and former Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees ace Mike Mussina.

Rivera and Halladay were on the ballot for the first time, Mussina was on his sixth year on the ballot, and Martinez made it into Cooperstown on his 10th and final try.

To gain election, a player must be named on at least 75 percent of ballots.

Halladay and Martinez each received 363 votes, or 85.4 percent. Mussina garnered 326 votes (76.8 percent).

It is the most diverse Hall of Fame class in baseball history.

Rivera, Halladay, Martinez and Mussina will be inducted — along with former closer Lee Smith and designated hitter Harold Baines, who were elected in December by the 16-person Today’s Game Era — at a ceremony July 21 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Halladay died in November 2017 in the crash of a plane he piloted.

He is the first player elected posthumously since Roberto Clemente in 1973.

In a statement released after the announcement, Brandy Halladay wrote:

“Being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame is every boy’s dream. To stand on that stage in Cooperstown and deliver your acceptance speech in front of baseball’s most enthusiastic fans is something that every baseball player aspires to achieve, and Roy was no exception. But that was not Roy’s goal. It was not his goal to have those three letters after his signature. His goal was to be successful every single day of his 16-year career. Tonight’s announcement is the end result of that effort. If only Roy were here to personally express his gratitude for this honor, what an even more amazing day this would be. I would like to extend special thanks to the baseball writers for the overwhelming percentage of votes that Roy received in his first year on the ballot. It means so much to me, Braden and Ryan.”

Falling just short — again — were Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, arguably the best pitcher and hitter of their time, but also two of the players most associated with the so-called steroid era. Both were on the ballot for the seventh time and will have three more chances before falling off the writers’ ballot.

Over the weekend President Trump tweeted that former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Schilling has been vocal in his support for Trump and conservatives.

Curt Schilling deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Great record, especially when under pressure and when it mattered most. Do what everyone in Baseball knows is right! @marklevinshow — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2019

Schilling has appeared on Hall of Fame ballots since 2013, but has yet to be voted in.

This year he received slightly more than 60 percent of the vote, well short of the 75 percent necessary.

Baseball will have these Hall of Famers on center stage this summer — just three weeks after the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play in London — to showcase its sport for the world.

The members of the 2019 class will be inducted to the Hall of Fame on July 21 in Cooperstown, New York.