The Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected four players to the Hall of Fame Tuesday, choosing three pitchers and one all-around player to be honored in Cooperstown, New York.

Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, and John Smoltz were all inducted in their first year of eligibility. Craig Biggio was first eligible in 2013, and the former Houston Astro was close to earning a spot in Cooperstown last year.

To be inducted, a player must receive 75 percent of votes cast by BBWAA members. Players need to have spent a minimum of 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, and then be retired for at least five full seasons before they are eligible.

Winning a World Series is not mandatory for selection, but it didn’t hurt the cases for the three pitchers, who not only won a championship, but were instrumental in helping their teams do so. Smoltz won with the Atlanta Braves in 1995; Johnson shared co-MVP honors with Curt Schilling when the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the New York Yankees in 2001; Martinez helped the Boston Red Sox end a title drought of 86 years in 2004.

Biggio never won a championship with the Astros, but excelled as a second baseman, catcher, and outfielder in 20 seasons. He is the only player of the Class of 2015 to have spent his entire career with the same team.

Among the players missing out on induction this year include Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, and Tim Raines. Schilling was eligible for the third time in 2015, and will be on the ballot next year; players need at least 5 percent of votes to stay on the following year for up to 10 times. One ESPN writer called 2015 a “make-or-break” year for Bagwell, who has been eligible since 2011. The first baseman, who also spent his entire career with the Astros, received 55 percent of the votes this year, an increase from 2014. Of the players who remained on the ballot, only Jeff Kent, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa received fewer votes than last year; all three will be eligible in 2016.

With four players being elected this year, is this the start of a trend where multiple names join the Hall of Fame every year? Three players (Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas) were inducted last year, but nobody joined the Hall in 2013 – the first time since 1996 that no player achieved the minimum 75 percent. From 2000-2012, only one or two players earned induction each year, for a total of 21 players in that 13-year span; is seven in two years a coincidence, or a sign of things to come?

Also, what about the new set of first-year players? Three made it this year; all three inductees last year were first-time candidates; and there are several strong choices to make it into Cooperstown on their first attempt in 2016. Ken Griffey, Jr. and Trevor Hoffman could be regarded as favorites, while Piazza & Bagwell are among the others most likely to get to 75 percent.

The four inductees for 2015 will be formally honored in Cooperstown on July 26.