David Cone is one of the most interesting cases in Major League Baseball Hall of Fame discussions. He is not a slam-dunk candidate, but there is a legitimate argument that his peak, postseason résumé and overall impact have been undervalued. 

During his first All-Star season with the Mets in 1988, Cone had a 20-3 record, a 2.22 ERA, and 213 strikeouts. So, what’s crazy about the 1988 season? First, Cone started in the bullpen and, in May, moved to the starting rotation. Then, in 1991, during the last game of the season, Cone had 19 strikeouts.

1994, Cone won his only Cy Young Award while pitching for the  Kansas City Royals. In that strike-shortened season, he won 16 games and had an ERA of 2.94. Cone played on five World Series championship teams: 1992 with the Toronto Blue Jays and 1996, 1999, and 2000 with the New York Yankees. With the Yankees, he also pitched a perfect game in 1999.

In the postseason, Cone was masterful. He went 8-3 in 21 games with a 3.80 ERA; in the World Series, he posted a 2.12 ERA over 29⅔ innings. He also threw a perfect game for the Yankees against Montreal in 1999.

Cone’s win-loss percentage is .606 and ranks 121st on MLB’s all-time list. His 7.7 hits allowed per nine innings pitched rank 80th. In his 17-year career, he won 194 games, posted a 3.46 ERA, and struck out 2,668 batters.

He was a five-time All-Star and World Series champion (1992, 1996, 1998-2000). He won the AL Cy Young Award in 1994, placed in the top six in Cy Young Award voting four more times, and even had two top-10 finishes in MVP voting.

Cone’s 61.6 rWAR is 57th all-time among primary starters. Hall of Famer Juan Marichal had an rWAR of 61.8 in one less season than Cone, but Marichal was elected to the Hall on his third ballot.

A down year in 2000, when Cone went 4-14, hurt his chances of reaching 200-plus wins, which could have made his Hall of Fame case a little more compelling. The biggest argument for Cone isn’t necessarily his career totals. It’s how good he was at his peak.

From 1988 through the 1990s, along with his Cy Young Award, Cone was one of baseball’s most dangerous starting pitchers. He led the National League in strikeouts in 1990 and 1991. According to MLB’s Sarah Langs, Cone’s seven-year peak WAR was about 43.3, compared with roughly 40.7 for the average Hall of Fame starting pitcher 

While Cone’s career did not have traditional statistical milestones, I think his peak was strong enough to compare to other Hall of Fame starting pitchers. If the Hall is willing to recognize dominant peaks rather than relying almost entirely on career milestones, Cone deserves another serious look.