Dodgers: MLB Insider Thinks Jeff Kent Belongs in the Hall-of-Fame
The results for 2022 Baseball Hall of Fame voting will be released next week. HOF voting always spurns impassioned debates about which players do and do not belong in the Hall. For Dodgers reporter David Vassegh, former Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent belongs in Cooperstown.
“Jeff Kent was initially DePodesta signing. Maybe the only good thing DePodesta did. He signed Jeff Kent. Who I believe is belongs in the Hall-of-Fame.”
Kent joined the Dodgers in 2005 at the tail end of his career. In four seasons with the Dodgers, Kent slashed a respectable .291/.367/.479 and ranked third in OPS (.847) amongst second baseman.
The second baseman won the 2000 NL MVP as a member of the San Francisco Giants. He beat out teammate Barry Bonds and former Dodgers catcher Mike Piazza who was a Met at the time. He was also a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger.
Kent was a key piece of the 2002 Giants team that would go on to lose the 2002 World Series to the Orange County Angels in seven games.
In his 17-year MLB career (1992-2008), Kent only trailed longtime Astro, before they were the Asterisks, Craig Biggio for WAR. Kent posted 56.0 WAR to Biggio’s 57.0. Biggio was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Clearly, Kent was one of the best at his position for the duration of his career.
Apparently, Hall-of-Fame voters do not feel the same. Kent was selected on just 32.4% of 2021 ballots. Candidates need a minimum of 75% to earn election into the Hall.
2022 will be Kent’s 10th and final year of eligibility on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) ballot. Assuming he isn’t elected by the BBWAA this year, he would then have to be appointed by the Today’s Game Committee. The Committee is set to meet in December of 2024.
What do you think Dodgers fans, does Jeff Kent belong in the Hall-of-Fame?
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He has the most HRs of any 2nd baseman in the history of the MLB. On that alone he should be inducted. Yes, he was a pretty average fielder, but the fact that he played an important defensive position like 2nd base, at the major league level, puts him head and shoulders above a DH’er like Ortiz!
The criteria for HoF induction need to stop being lowered to accommodate a player’s career for entrance.
Jeff Kent, like many others, belongs in the Hall of the Very-Good. Not the HOF. Just more evidence that WAR is a misleading number
Jeff surely deserves to be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a Dodger.
For quite awhile now, actually many years, I’ve wondered how much politics and nepotism affect the HOF selections. There are many “questionable” that are in the Hall and since the bar has been lowered there are many that should be in the Hall. On a side note, focusing on the “lower bar”, and since everyone has an opinion about who should be in the Hall, one of my votes, among many, would go to Denny McClain. That is based on what he did mostly in 1968 — 31 wins, but he was also a 20 game winner. I know that he has a “checkered life after baseball”, but look at the candidates on the ballot again this year.
Hy there. how is life?
I’m kind of neutral on him in general, not a fan but don’t dislike him. He does have good numbers, but still to me seems like a star for his era, but not HOF.
I say yes! Lifetime .290 hitter, over 100 RBI’s 8 times all time leader in homers at second base!