6 former Cardinals who are not in MLB Hall of Fame, but should be

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The 2024 MLB Hall of Fame class has been announced with Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton getting enshrined into Cooperstown. It is always a ceremonious day that lets all baseball fans look back at history and recollect the great moments these all-time greats have provided throughout our lifetimes.

Many great names get first-ballot approval like Beltre and Mauer, while some take several years of consideration to become elected like Helton. Many great names go through trial and error for 10 years and never get elected. The Veterans Committee is the last chance of hope for many players looking to one day join the pristine enshrinement. Here are 6 former Cardinals who deserve another chance at joining Cooperstown.

Jim Edmonds

One of the best center fielders to ever play the game, Jim Edmonds is somehow not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I wrote a piece doing an in-depth breakdown on his snub that went up this morning, and you can check out his case for Cooperstown here.

Mark McGwire

Big Mac is bigger than the game. We do not need to look at his full career statistics, we do not need to look at his 1998 statistics, we do not need to look at his steroid controversy. What puts Mark McGwire in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame is how one man changed history, not just for the record books. He revived the sport and the business of Major League Baseball.

MLB about faced its demise during the 1994 lockout and struggled to recover during the following seasons. The game still had notable stars who were making their mark in the game. But Mark brought the charm back to America's pastime. Everyone fell in love with baseball during the great home run chase of 1998. Cooperstown was created to honor the legacy of baseball and display all of its great moments for generations to come. How come we cannot recognize one of the greatest summers in baseball history?

Carlos Beltran

Beltran was on the 2024 ballot and received 57.1% of the vote in his second year of eligibility. His percentage increased from 46.5% in 2023. With eight more years remaining on the ballot, Beltran is on a really good path to be inducted.

He would be a slam-dunk candidate to be elected if it weren't for the 2017 Houston Astros cheating scandal. Beltran was not only a part of the problem, he was the problem. But that was the final season of his Hall of Fame career. Was it good judgment for a long-time veteran of the game? No, but that should not define the body of work he has created over 20 seasons. He has the accolades of being a Rookie of the Year winner, nine-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger. He amassed 70.1 career WAR, with 71.6 being the Hall of Fame average for centerfielders.

But what makes Carlos Beltran a Hall of Famer is his postseason resume. He is one of the best players in postseason history. In a minimum of 100 plate appearances, Beltran ranks number eight all-time in postseason OPS. He is placed above Bryce Harper and former Cardinals legend Albert Pujols if that says anything about Carlos Beltran.

Curt Flood

You can take one quick look at Curt Flood's career and say he was a pretty good player, but not a Hall of Famer. But with Curt Flood, he pioneered the business side of the game that is still paying its dividends to thank him for his contributions. Flood created an open market that gives players control over their careers which is not recognized enough. For decades, players never left their teams. Owners had full control of their rosters and could monopolize the way they wanted to structure rosters and player payrolls. But in 1970, Flood put his foot down. He was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies but refused to go. He stated he did not feel like he should be treated like property to be bought or sold and decided to take this battle to court.

During many years of battling, Flood's case made its way to the United States Supreme Court where MLB won the case in a 5-3 vote. This was a defeat to Flood's future within MLB, but it was a victory for all future players. In 1976, MLB created the first rendition of player free agency and the rest is history.

Keith Hernandez

Keith Hernandez is the perfect example of meeting the minimal requirements to being elected into the Hall of Fame. He accumulated 60.1 career WAR which is barely below the JAWS average WAR for hall of fame first basemen at 65 WAR. This places him in the top 200 players in the overall history of MLB. He has over 2,000 hits, 3 top five MVP finishes with 1979 being his MVP year with the Cardinals.

He is a two-time World Series winner, five-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and the all-time leader at first base with eleven Gold Gloves. Hernandez does not have the attractive power numbers that voters are looking for with first basemen. But in his 18 seasons played, he finished with an OPS+ above 100 in sixteen of those seasons (100 is league average). Not only is he the greatest fielding first baseman of all time which is enough to get him inducted, but he was also very consistent on offense. If his playing days do not get him inducted, it better be for his broadcasting career.

Roger Maris

Remember when you read about Mark McGwire changing the game by hitting home runs? He would not be here without Roger Maris. Maris hit 61 in 1961 that dethroned the game's biggest figure in Babe Ruth. This is an incredible feat that comes with major praise and also came with heavy scrutiny. The immense pressure put on Maris was taxing on overall health. Maris received hate mail, death threats, and could not escape the New York or national media. The stress got to Maris so badly that his hair began to fall out. Such a monumental moment in baseball history, to pass the greatest player of all time comes with great consequences.

Like McGwire passing him, Maris took the United States by storm. He and fellow teammate Mickey Mantle were in their own race to pass the great bambino before Mantle went down with injury. The spotlight moved to Maris which created a superhero image for the mortal man. The career numbers do not compare, but Maris was the biggest star in MLB in 1961. Even with two league MVPs, that 1961 season alone needs to be sitting next to 1998 in Cooperstown.

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