Keith Hernandez spent parts of 17 seasons in the big leagues. The five-time All-Star came up with the Cardinals in 1975 and was traded to the Mets in 1983, where he spent parts of seven seasons before wrapping up his career with an injury-plagued stint in Cleveland.
Hernandez first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot in 1996, receiving 5.1% of the vote, just enough to remain under consideration for another year. His 24 votes tied Bobby Bonds and Rusty Staub for 23rd most that year. Two years later, Hernandez peaked at 10.8% of the vote. In 2004, he dropped to 4.3% and fell off the ballot.
Was Keith Hernandez overlooked for the Hall of Fame? Let’s take a modern-day look his Cooperstown candidacy.
WAR: Was is it Good For? The answer: Keith Hernandez!
Hernandez’s Seinfeld girlfriend, Elaine, once uttered those lyrics from Edwin Starr’s 1970 hit single. A different kind of WAR, Baseball Reference’s Wins Above Replacement calculation, certainly adds to Hernandez’s Hall of Fame case. His career WAR of 60.3 is tied for 187th all-time, better than 99.99% of all players in major-league history.
By comparison, Hernandez’s career WAR is better than Vladimir Guerrero and Mike Piazza (both at 59.5) and higher than his contemporaries first base, Willie Stargell (57.6) and Tony Pérez (54).
Glove Work
Hernandez is widely considered one of the best defensive first basemen to ever play the game. He won the Gold Glove Award for 11 consecutive seasons from 1978 to 1988. He is 21st in career putouts as a first sacker, and his 1,682 assists at the position is fifth most in history. In terms of Total Zone Runs, a park-adjusted calculation created by Sean Smith that looks at all play-by-play data since 1953, Hernandez leads all first basemen with a 120 runs saved.
Keith Hernandez With the Stick
Hernandez was an elite defender, but he was no slouch at the plate. He won the batting title in 1979 with a .344 average, earning co-Most Valuable Player honors with Stargell. In 12 seasons in which Hernandez was a full-time player, he produced a slash line of .303/.393/.447. His OPS+ over that stretch was +133.
Detractors may point to Hernandez’s lack of power at a position known for thump. He never reached the 20-home run mark, though he did hit double figure dingers in 10 of his 17 seasons. Hernandez was more of a line-drive and gap hitter. He finished in the top 10 in doubles eight times.
Post-Season Feats and Post-Baseball Résumé
Hernandez was a middle-of-the-order cog on two World Series champions: the ’82 Cardinals and ’86 Mets. In 30 career postseason games, he hit .265 with a .370 OBP and 21 RBIs.
To casual or younger fans, Hernandez may be better know for his appearances on Seinfeld in some of the show’s most memorable episodes. Since 2006, he has served as an TV analyst for the Mets, teaming with Ron Darling as one of the game’s great duo of color commentators. Like Jim Kaat, these contributions should add weight to Hernandez’s Hall of Fame candidacy.
Is Keith Hernandez a Hall of Famer? He’s not a slam dunk but certainly worthy of additional consideration.
