David Cone, Starting Pitcher

Kansas City Royals 1986, 1993-1994

New York Mets 1987-1992, 2003

Toronto Blue Jays 1992, 1995

New York Yankees 1995-2000

Boston Red Sox 2001

Awards

1994 AL Cy Young

All-Star Selections: 5 (1988, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999)

League Leader

1988: W/L Pct.

1990: Strikeouts, K/9, K/BB

1991: Strikeouts, K/9

1992: Shutouts, K/9

1995: Innings

1998: Wins

Career Ranks

Strikeouts: 22nd

Games Started: 99th

W/L Pct: 95th

H/9: 62nd

K/9: 20th

Best Performance

July 18, 1999 - Montreal at New York (A)

Throws only 88 pitches in tossing the 15th perfect game in MLB history.

Hall of Fame Stats

Black Ink: Pitching - 19 (101) (Average HOFer ≈ 40)

Gray Ink: Pitching - 165 (76) (Average HOFer ≈ 185)

HOF Standards: Pitching - 39.0 (73) (Average HOFer ≈ 50)

HOF Monitor: Pitching - 103.0 (90) (Likely HOFer > 100)

Similar Pitchers in HOF: 2 (Dazzy Vance, Bob Lemon)

Other Similar Pitchers: Dwight Gooden, Tommy Bridges, Bob Welch, Orel Hershiser, Dave Stieb, Kevin Brown, Jack Stivetts, Dave McNally

Year-by-Year Win Shares & Wins Above Replacement Level (WARP3)

1986: 0/0.2

1987: 5/1.9

1988: 19/7.2

1989: 11/4.4

1990: 13/6.9

1991: 15/7.0

1992: 18/7.5

1993: 21/9.0

1994: 20/10.8

1995: 19/9.7

1996: 8/3.7

1997: 16/7.7

1998: 17/6.7

1999: 15/6.6

2000: 0/1.0

2001: 8/3.6

2003: 0/0.1

Career Win Shares: 205

Career WARP3: 94.2

My Stupid Opinion

You know there are crazier cases to be made than trumpeting David Cone as a HOF, although I'm not going to do it. The 1994-95 strike very likely cost him a shot at 200 wins as it occurred in the prime of his career and he had 10 to 11 potential starts wiped out in the middle of his Cy Young season of '94. But that being said he was definitely a notch below the elite pitchers of his era. Would be worthy of staying on the ballot but I think he has less than a 50/50 chance of getting the necessary 5% of the vote.