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Rivera used his signature cutter to tally an MLB-record 652 career saves.

Baseball Hall of Fame 2019: Unanimous inductee Mariano Rivera headlines ceremony

Six new members joined the Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday, and among them was the first-ever unanimous inductee in Mariano Rivera.

Other greats that gained entrance into baseball's most hallowed space include Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, Edgar Martinez, Lee Smith and Harold Baines.

Here's what made the 2019 class so special:

Mariano Rivera

Rivera is considered one of the greatest closers of all time. His road to MLB was unorthodox, as he was discovered by a Yankees scout during his teen years as a position player filling in for a suffering pitcher on the mound. From there he never looked back and spent 19 incredible seasons with New York.

Rivera used his signature cutter to tally an MLB-record 652 career saves. The 13-time All-Star and three-time MLB saves leader also won five World Series titles as a member of the Yankees.

His adjusted ERA+ of 205 ranks first all-time and he was ridiculously consistent in the postseason as well. It took 80 Baseball Hall of Fame inductions for a unanimous inductee to be chosen, and Rivera was just the man for the job.

Roy Halladay

Halladay had tremendous control over a variety of pitches and was a mountain of a man at 6-6. He died when a plane he was piloting crashed in November 2017, but baseball fans have not forgotten his dominance and the mark he left on the game.

The 16-year pro won two Cy Young Awards, pitched a perfect game and notched a no-hitter in the postseason. Quite an impressive list of accolades.

Halladay has led MLB in complete games pitched in seven seasons. He pitched nine complete games in four separate years. Just to put that in perspective, no pitcher on any team tallied more than five last year.

Mike Mussina

Mussina's consistency as a starter earned him 270 wins in his 18-year career. He ranks 33rd on MLB's all-time wins list.

The Williamsport, Pennsylvania, native was a five-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner and led the majors in wins in 1995. Although he was stellar for the Orioles and Yankees, it took six ballots for him to make it into the Hall of Fame.

Voters finally came around and realized how impressive his contributions were.

Edgar Martinez

Yes, this is the man with his own hitting award. Martinez is the namesake of the Edward Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, as he was simply a nightmare at the plate.

The seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner had a career batting average of .312 and finished his career with 309 home runs and 1,261 RBIs. He led MLB in games played and runs scored in 1995.

Martinez showcased his poise and talent in Seattle for 18 seasons.

Lee Smith

Smith is from a different era of closers in MLB, as he was headed out the door when Riviera's career was just beginning in 1997.

He retired as the all-time leader in saves and led the league in saves in four separate seasons.

Smith was a journeyman after his first eight years with the Cubs but still became a seven-time All-Star after receiving two All-Star selections in Chicago. He also spent time with the Red Sox, Cardinals, Yankees, Orioles, Angels, Reds and Expos (now Nationals).

Harold Baines

Baines was yet another formidable force at the plate. Although bad knees forced him into a designated hitter role, he didn't let that limit his impact.

The six-time All-Star and 2005 World Series champion tallied 384 home runs, 2,866 hits and 1,628 RBIs — which ranks 34th all time.

Baines was bound to get into the Hall of Fame eventually, but getting the nod this early was unexpected.

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