Steroid users are being allowed into the hall of fame

Question

Currently this claim is not true and holds no validity but in the future there may be a world where players that took part in the steroid era are let into the hall of fame. In order to make it to the baseball hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, you must as a player receive a certain number of votes. Some players like Barry Bonds, Roger Clemons, Alex Rodriguez, and many others who have a strong resume of accolades have been on the outside looking in for many years, while other players who's names are linked to steroid participation like David Ortiz, Ivan Rodriguez, and Mike Piazza have been inducted into the hall of fame. 

There are many reasons as to why players who took steroids should or should not be allowed into the hall of fame. Some claims for why they should be allowed include the theory that steroids are not a critical advantage in baseball, another reason is that the hall of fame is the museum of baseball history, and the steroid era was a important time in baseball history, and lastly, the fact that many household names that people grew up watching will not be in the hall of fame because of their choices rather than taking into account their accomplishments on the field. Reasons as to why they should not be allowed stem from ideals that they should be held accountable, and that everyone else played clean so why couldn't they (The Perspective). As younger people join the Baseball Writers Association of America, they are more susceptible to give their votes to guys that partook in steroids, because they did not grow up in that era, but time will only tell if these players will be allowed into the baseball hall of fame. 

Answer 1

I'm going to answer this claim using 3 sources, one of them being the attached source in the claim. From what I know, people who were found using steroids aren't usually allowed to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since athletic boards have deemed steroids as cheating. However, let's see what these sources have to say about the matter, since I myself am not familiar with it being allowed. 

Perspective starts out with stating a little bit of history of MLB using steroids or more specifically PEDS, but they also list 3 reason to include and exclude the steroid using athletes. The first reason I found a bit interesting,

" Steroids are not a critical advantage in baseball

Baseball is different from other common “steroid sports” in that steroids don’t give a baseball player an incredible advantage. The key factors that determine a baseball player’s ability and performance have nothing to do with steroids. In contrast, a batter`s ability to identify the pitch and its rotation, or a pitcher`s ability to throw a curve-ball through the strike zone have everything to do with skill and science." (Perspective)

I think this is an interesting statement since I do think steroids definitely increase a player's chance to do or hit things they normally can't. Steroids can give a player more confidence or more strength, which will lead to a higher success rate in the long run. So I don't think that claims it to be let in to the hall of fame.

 

"I do believe that the powers that be are well intentioned and simply want the most deserving players to be considered for such a lofty honor. But the whims of the voters could soil this system as it did with the steroid era BBWAA voting. Plus, it would help if the people assembling the ballot picked the most deserving uninducted players."(Forbes)

Most of this is talking about ballots and voting. The main issue with picks or being on the ballot, even if you were found to be using steroids. I do agree with this thought that the system is it should go to the most deserving person, not someone who is shown to use steroids to make themselves better than someone who naturally is. 

What also helps me make a decision here is this quote from HistoricBaseball,

"The criteria for induction have been historically straightforward: excellence in performance, sportsmanship, and contribution to the team’s success. However, these criteria have been challenged and scrutinized in recent years, particularly with the emergence of PED scandals."

This is what it should be all around. From excellence and also truth towards the sport, not cheating and winning because of it. 

Cited Sources

---. “Should Steroid Users Be Included in the Baseball Hall of Fame?” Theperspective.com/, 22 July 2022, www.theperspective.com/debates/sports/should-steroid-users-be-included-in-the-baseball-hall-of-fame.

Blengino, Tony. “MLB Modern Era Hall of Fame Ballot Likely to Relitigate Steroid Era.” Forbes, 11 Nov. 2025, www.forbes.com/sites/tonyblengino/2025/11/11/mlb-modern-era-hall-of-fame-ballot-likely-to-relitigate-steroid-era/.

admin. “Steroids & Scandals: Shaping Baseball Hall of Fame Votes - Historic Baseball.” Historic Baseball, 20 Feb. 2024, historicbaseball.com/steroids-scandals-shaping-baseball-hall-of-fame-votes/.