Where the Star-Studded 2015 MLB Hall of Fame Class Ranks All-Time

The 2015 MLB Hall of Fame class is historically impressive.

The following four players are all be headed to Cooperstown this summer, per the MLB Twitter account:

• Craig Biggio
• Randy Johnson
• Pedro Martinez
• John Smoltz

As ESPN Stats & Info points out, this is the first time since 1955 and just the third time overall that four players will enter the Hall in the same year.

That's an incredible feat, but the big question is where the class ranks all-time. What follows is a look back through baseball history to see just which groups are the best of all.

For the purpose of these rankings, each class consists of the players elected by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in a given year. That means that players, managers and officials who entered the Hall thanks to the Veterans Committee weren't part of the equation.

As for the ranking criteria, the most important aspect taken into consideration was the collective WAR of each class. There was also a focus on how many players it took to compile that WAR, as the classes vary in size from five to two.

Plus, the individual accomplishments of particular players—all-time records, career milestones, MVP awards and Triple Crowns—also determined where each class ended up in the rankings.

Honorable Mentions

Before taking a look at the top five, here's a rundown of a few of the classes that just missed the cut:

• The Class of 1947: Mickey Cochrane, Frankie Frisch, Lefty Grove and Carl Hubbell
• The Class of 1991: Rod Carew, Ferguson Jenkins and Gaylord Perry
• The Class of 2014: Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Frank Thomas
• The Class of 1999: George Brett, Nolan Ryan and Robin Yount
• The Class of 1955: Joe DiMaggio, Gabby Hartnett, Ted Lyons and Dazzy Vance

5. The Class of 1982

The Class

• Hank Aaron
• Frank Robinson

Total WAR: 249.8

This is a controversial inclusion as the class consists of just two players. 

Then again, Hank Aaron and Frank Robinson are a couple of players who simply can't be ignored. It's worth noting that Aaron and Robinson put up a higher combined WAR (249.8) than the class of 1999 (George Brett, Nolan Ryan and Robin Yount), which was the top contender for this final spot. Brett, Ryan and Yount check in with a collective WAR of 247.2. 

Aaron and Robinson were also two of the most powerful hitters ever to play. Aaron is No. 2 on the all-time home run list (755) and owns the No. 1 spot in RBI (2,297).

Robinson produced a remarkable resume, as well. The right-handed hitter is No. 9 overall in home runs (586). Plus, Robinson was a 14-time All-Star. He also won a Triple Crown and is the only player to win the MVP Award in both leagues.

4. The Class of 2015

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

The Predicted Class

• Craig Biggio
• Randy Johnson
• Pedro Martinez
• John Smoltz

Total WAR: 320.7

The class of 2015 is absolutely loaded. 

According to the MLB Twitter account, four players will make the cut. There was nearly a fifth member of the class, as Mike Piazza landed 69.9 percent of the vote, per the MLB Twitter account.

As Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com argues, there were actually five pitchers who had a Hall of Fame case this year. 

"What is interesting is that in this mind’s eye, there are five pitchers on this ballot who clearly deserve to be inducted in Cooperstown—Martinez, Johnson, John Smoltz, Mike Mussina, Curt Schilling," Gammons wrote.

As Gammons notes, that's an especially impressive list considering that all five pitched during an era defined by alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs.

3. The Class of 1939

Associated Press

The Class

• Eddie Collins
• Lou Gehrig
• Willie Keeler
• George Sisler

Total WAR: 347.3

The class of 1939 could flat-out hit. 

Here's a look at the career batting average of the four players who made up the group:

• Eddie Collins: .333
• Lou Gehrig: .340
• Willie Keeler: .341
• George Sisler: .340

It's worth noting that Gehrig wasn't originally a part of the class, which was inducted the same year the Baseball Hall of Fame opened. As Jay Jaffe of Sports Illustrated points out, Gehrig entered the Hall of Fame thanks to a special election in December 1939, which took place after he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). 

Surprisingly, Collins, who totaled 3,315 hits, is the only one of these four players who is part of the 3,000-hit club.

2. The Class of 1937

Associated Press

The Class

• Napoleon Lajoie
• Tris Speaker
• Cy Young

Total WAR: 409.5

Even though it consists of just three players, the 1937 class checks in with the second-highest WAR (409.4) in history. 

Cy Young sets the pace with a career WAR of 168.5, which is the second-best of all time and No. 1 among pitchers. Of course, Young, who is well-known for the yearly pitching award that bears his name, is great by any measure. Young made the most starts of any pitcher in the history or the sport, and he has the most wins (511).

Tris Speaker and Napoleon Lajoie, who round out the class, are among the most dangerous hitters ever to swing a bat. Speaker recorded 3,514 hits, which is No. 5 on the all-time leader board. He's No. 1 in doubles with 792. Lajoie is the owner of a .338 career average, and also ranks No. 13 in hits (3,243).

1. The Class of 1936

The Class

• Ty Cobb
• Walter Johnson
• Christy Mathewson
• Babe Ruth 
• Honus Wagner

Total WAR: 733.0

There's just one word to describe the 1936 class: incomparable. 

Babe Ruth, who owned the all-time home run record until 1974, headlines the class, but the player who went yard 714 times is just the start. 

With a .366 career average, Ty Cobb has the highest mark in history. Walter Johnson ended his career with 417 wins, which is the second-most ever. The other pitcher in the class, Christy Mathewson, collected 373 wins of his own, which is tied for third in the record book.

Plus, there's Honus Wagner, who is one of the best infielders to ever step on the diamond. In 21 seasons, Wagner piled up 3,420 hits.

There's never been a class like the first one, and there never will be one to match it again. 

Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference and MLB.com. All videos courtesy of MLB.com and YouTube.com.

If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.