Keith Hernandez: Does the MLB great belong in the Hall of Fame? 

Keith Hernandez is remembered by many New York Mets fans as an analyst for SNY, as well as for his 1990s appearances on the popular show Seinfeld.

Unfortunately, for Hernandez, he was never able to crack the prestigious - and notoriously difficult - Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. Many still consider him to be one of the best players of the late 1970s and 1980s.

"Keith Hernandez should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame" - @ Mets'd up Podcast

Hernandez was born in San Francisco in 1953. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 42nd round of the 1971 MLB Draft, but did not make his first MLB appearance until 1974.

It wasn't until his 1976 campaign for the St. Louis Cardinals that he began to gain notoriety around the league. In 1979, he hit .344, the highest of any player in baseball and also led the league in runs and doubles.

Between 1979 and 1981, Hernandez hit .300 and held an OBP of at least 400. He was instrumental in leading the Cards to their 1982 World Series victory, their first in 15 years.

A Gold Glover every season between 1878 and 1983, Hernandez was traded to the New York Mets in 1983. Apparently, Cardinals owner Gussie Busch was growing tired of his cocaine use and shipped him to the Mets.

He won another 5 straight Gold Glove Awards for the Mets and helped the team win their 1986 World Series. Hernandez finally signed with the Cleveland Indians in 1990, playing just 43 games that season before retiring.

"ICYMI: Cards have added Keith Hernandez to their team hall of fame, but you could be forgiven for thinking they actually inducted someone named Ed Jones. Even by the usual standards of sports-advertising grossness, this is a disgrace. Cards usually Get It™, but not this time." - @ Paul Lukas

When Keith Hernandez became eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot in 1996, he stayed on the ballot until 2004, never garnering more than 11% of the 75% threshold needed to gain entry. He was, however, voted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2021, and the Mets Hall of Fame in 1997.

Was Keith Hernandez was good enough for the Hall of Fame?

Although his career was mired by drug abuse, Hernandez was still a .296 hitter over 17 seasons, hitting 162 career home runs and 1071 RBIs. Although not an exemplary citizen, his fielding and hitting are both enough for him to deserve a spot in the Hall of Fame.

Unfortunately, it looks like will never get there.