Who is the best New York Yankees player not in the Hall of Fame?

2023 marked the second year in a row that New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez failed to make the Hall of Fame cut. Although A-Rod had a fantastic career, his reputation became mired in a PED scandal, resulting in a humiliating suspension before his retirement in 2016.

In total, 61 players who wore the New York Yankees' pinstripe uniform now find their names immortalized in the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Still, there are dozens of great New York Yankees players who never made it to the Hall of Fame. Today, we are taking a look at some.

In order to make the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, you need to have been retired for five years. Once you are deemed eligible, the Baseball Writer's Association will vote on the players. Any player to gain over 75% of BBWAA votes will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Apart from A-Rod, another New York Yankees legend to never quite make the cut is Roger Clemens. Clemens burst into the league in 1984, winning three Cy Young Awards with the Boston Red Sox and one with the Toronto Blue Jays before joining the Yankees in 1999. Clemens managed to win another Cy Young, the sixth of his career with the Yankees in 2001, after posting a league-best winning percentage of .870.

"Roger Clemens shared this message after not being elected to the Hall of Fame." - ESPN

Unfortunately, Clemens' career was rocked by steroid abuse and domestic violence allegations. He was on the ballot from 2013 to 2022, and never met the threshold. He remains the only 300-win pitcher not in the Hall of Fame.

Andy Pettitte holds the record for the most strikeouts as a member of the New York Yankees. Pettitte played for the Yankees from 1995 to 2013, spending his entire career there, winning five World Series rings. Pettitte struck out 2,448 batters in his time there, placing him first on the list of franchise strikeout leaders.

However, Pettite was rejected in 2021 and 2022, failing to garner over 15% either time. Some say that Pettite's legacy was also muddied by a 2008 court case that exposed his past use of performance-enhancing drugs.

Finally, a former New York Yankees hitter who has ultimately failed to gain Hall of Fame status is Don Mattingly. Mattingly played for the Yankees from 1982 to 1995, spending the entirety of his career on the team. Mattingly won the 1985 MVP Award after registering 238 hits and an OPS of .967.

"Don Mattingly was the 1985 AL MVP. He won 9 gold gloves, a batting title, and hit over .300 on 7 occasions. For a period of time, Mattingly was the best player in the game. He's not in the @BaseballHOF but Scott Rolen and Harold Baines are." - Ken McGrath

Mattingly never won a World Series, though, souring his legacy as a true Yankees hero. He went on to manage the Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins and Yankees from 2004 to 2007. Mattingly was on the Hall of Fame ballot from 2001 to 2015, but never came close to the threshold. He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame — if that's any consolation — in 2001.

Watch out for current New York Yankees stars in the Hall of Fame of the future

Outfielder Aaron Judge plowed 62 home runs in 2022, smashing the single-season record and all but cementing his name in MLB lore. It's true that the most high-profile names have had their legacies tarnished by drug use. If Judge can keep it together, he will be one of the best Yankees names ever sent to Cooperstown.