Jeff Kent. Worthy of the HOF or just slim pickings?
December 8, 2025
Jeff Kent. Worthy of the HOF or just slim pickings?
43 comments
He was a damn good player
No strong feelings either way. “Most home runs for a second baseman” was going to get him in eventually.
Best 2b from 95-05 by bWAR & wRC+.
The irony of writers not voting for Bonds because he used steroids, but voting for Kent who directly benefitted from hitting in front of Bonds for so many years. They should both be in the HOF.
Most homers of any Second baseman in all of baseball including Rogers Hornsby. That alone is enough to get him in the hall
One of the best to play 2nd base. And consistent for sure. He deserves the spot.
The position context matters a lot. Definitely wasn’t in conversations as one of the best players of his era but definitely was among the best ever at his position.
Guaranteed he did roids, like many others already enshrined (Ortiz, Bagwell, Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez etc).
I just really hate the hypocrisy of the HOF. I’m a SF Giants fan and I think Kent was a marginal HOF candidate with stats padded by PEDs.
He’s no more worthy than Will the Thrill who actually was one of the few superstars of that era who didn’t “enhance” his body.
Bonds (best hitter of all time) and Clemens (who I despise) should be in at this point. As should A-roid and Manny and many others.
The HOF and many of it’s voters are a self righteous joke.
Edited a couple of non essential things
Nice of him to bring his aging mom to the news conference
Everyone loves to shit on The Veteran’s Committees pick. There’s are guys who played with and against who can honestly say WAR or other stats don’t tell the whole story.
They didn’t have to pick anyone, it’s difficult getting in this way.
Free Lou Whitaker
Slim pickings …
How can you go to the HOF after being the 2 jury member? He didn’t even win individual immunity!
Slim pickins
slim pickings for sure, no Don Mattingly or Dale Murphy but Jeff Kent
Neither
Writers hated him. He should’ve gotten in a long time ago with them. He took all the votes yesterday.
Slim pickins?
Who sees Jeff Kent and Dale Murphy on the same ballot and goes “Oh, Jeff Kent for sure?”
Slim Pickens was an actor, not an infielder 😉
Slim pickings
Todd Helton was robbed of an MVP by Kent btw
Kent was nice player on one side of the ball. Not HOF material.
Not sure this was a great list, but i think Fernando would have been a better selection.
Worthy. Great career stats, especially for a second baseman.
The first HoF class was: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. As time continues the threshold to get in will steadily get lower and lower
Like a lot of people, I’m not vehemently for/against a guy like Kent being in/out.
BUT, I am vehemently against the seeming randomness of HoF logic that’s been showing up lately with different voting processes.
Like don’t tell me Jeff Kent is a HOF’er, but not Lou Whittaker, Kenny Lofton, or Andruw Jones. And don’t vote in Harold Baines and tell me that Don Mattingly and Keith Hernandez are **not** worthy.
The line of what is/isn’t a hall of famer is getting more and more arbitrary, and I think it’s hurting the validity of the voting and committees.
Some kid in the distant future is gonna know about Scott Rolen and Jeff Kent before Bonds and Clemens because of this, and that’s just horrible.
Lou Whitaker and Dale Murphy should be in.
I’m salty about it
Asshole HoF maybe
He had a long career and had quite a few consistently good-great years offensively as a 2B. He wasn’t good glove caliber on defense but he wasn’t terrible from what I remember. At one point, Alex Cora, Cesar Izturis, and Kent were the anchors of the best rated defense in baseball while he was past his prime on the Dodgers.
He had the most homeruns ever for a 2nd baseman, won a MVP, and wasn’t ever suspected of steroids. He also pushed for stricter testing of HGH and PED’s, so that probably helps his case.
I always thought he should get in, personally.
Definitely deserved it. He is the 3rd best hitting 2nd baseball in history behind Hornsby and Joe Morgan or maybe Alomar. He won a league MVP Award. HR’s, RBI, OPS, SLG%, BA near .300.
Jef Kent is pretty much a known butthead or worse. It’s unfortunate a guy like Lou Whitaker, who was a great guy, may not get in but is well behind Kent in many categories. If it was the hall of good guys, Whitaker would win easily.
Hopefully ends the Votto debate.
As a Giants fan, I’m thrilled and surprised he made it, at least so quickly. People yesterday seemed to mostly say he wasn’t up to par, and were tying part of it to PED’s when the man has never been tied to them prior, was outspoken against them, and clearly hated Bonds. Yet people were acting like they were hanging around juicing together. His numbers don’t scream slam dunk, but realistically he’s one of the most accomplished hitters at 2nd base, and his defense, while never amazing, wasn’t awful either. There was never a time as a Giants fan where I saw Kent and wished the NL had DH. I’m all for advanced metrics, but the man was clutch and produced runs, 100 RBI’s in 8 seasons in a 9 year span, only one missing out at 93 despite only playing 130 games.
Definitely worthy…but so is Lou Whitaker.
Did you not see the other threads about him on here from a day ago?
Might be the most “un-sexy” player to be inducted in recent memory.
Is that his wife or his dad?
Mid selection
His career WAR is 20 below that of Bobby Grich and Lou Whitaker. Neither is in the Hall. He was a mediocre fielder who probably fit better at third base but maybe didn’t have the arm. If you put him at third, he’s just Troy Glaus. He had good numbers during a period where lots of guys had big numbers. His MVP should have gone to Todd Helton. Kent’s OPS that year ranked 11th in the National League. He was 13th in homers and 4th in RBIs. No doubt that he had some good years. But he’s not a HOFer. I watched him play and never thought of him as worthy of the Hall.
The Hall is a joke.
He’s above average without hitting next to Bonds.
Feels more like another fuck you to bonds than a legit pick IMO
The Hall of Fame doesnt have its hits leader HR leader Cy Young award leader and a 400 hitter with the 3rd all time career average.
43 comments
He was a damn good player
No strong feelings either way. “Most home runs for a second baseman” was going to get him in eventually.
Best 2b from 95-05 by bWAR & wRC+.
The irony of writers not voting for Bonds because he used steroids, but voting for Kent who directly benefitted from hitting in front of Bonds for so many years. They should both be in the HOF.
Most homers of any Second baseman in all of baseball including Rogers Hornsby. That alone is enough to get him in the hall
One of the best to play 2nd base. And consistent for sure. He deserves the spot.
The position context matters a lot. Definitely wasn’t in conversations as one of the best players of his era but definitely was among the best ever at his position.
Guaranteed he did roids, like many others already enshrined (Ortiz, Bagwell, Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez etc).
I just really hate the hypocrisy of the HOF. I’m a SF Giants fan and I think Kent was a marginal HOF candidate with stats padded by PEDs.
He’s no more worthy than Will the Thrill who actually was one of the few superstars of that era who didn’t “enhance” his body.
Bonds (best hitter of all time) and Clemens (who I despise) should be in at this point. As should A-roid and Manny and many others.
The HOF and many of it’s voters are a self righteous joke.
Edited a couple of non essential things
Nice of him to bring his aging mom to the news conference
Everyone loves to shit on The Veteran’s Committees pick. There’s are guys who played with and against who can honestly say WAR or other stats don’t tell the whole story.
They didn’t have to pick anyone, it’s difficult getting in this way.
Free Lou Whitaker
Slim pickings …
How can you go to the HOF after being the 2 jury member? He didn’t even win individual immunity!
Slim pickins
slim pickings for sure, no Don Mattingly or Dale Murphy but Jeff Kent
Neither
Writers hated him. He should’ve gotten in a long time ago with them. He took all the votes yesterday.
Slim pickins?
Who sees Jeff Kent and Dale Murphy on the same ballot and goes “Oh, Jeff Kent for sure?”
Slim Pickens was an actor, not an infielder 😉
Slim pickings
Todd Helton was robbed of an MVP by Kent btw
Kent was nice player on one side of the ball. Not HOF material.
Not sure this was a great list, but i think Fernando would have been a better selection.
Worthy. Great career stats, especially for a second baseman.
The first HoF class was: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. As time continues the threshold to get in will steadily get lower and lower
Like a lot of people, I’m not vehemently for/against a guy like Kent being in/out.
BUT, I am vehemently against the seeming randomness of HoF logic that’s been showing up lately with different voting processes.
Like don’t tell me Jeff Kent is a HOF’er, but not Lou Whittaker, Kenny Lofton, or Andruw Jones. And don’t vote in Harold Baines and tell me that Don Mattingly and Keith Hernandez are **not** worthy.
The line of what is/isn’t a hall of famer is getting more and more arbitrary, and I think it’s hurting the validity of the voting and committees.
Some kid in the distant future is gonna know about Scott Rolen and Jeff Kent before Bonds and Clemens because of this, and that’s just horrible.
Lou Whitaker and Dale Murphy should be in.
I’m salty about it
Asshole HoF maybe
He had a long career and had quite a few consistently good-great years offensively as a 2B. He wasn’t good glove caliber on defense but he wasn’t terrible from what I remember. At one point, Alex Cora, Cesar Izturis, and Kent were the anchors of the best rated defense in baseball while he was past his prime on the Dodgers.
He had the most homeruns ever for a 2nd baseman, won a MVP, and wasn’t ever suspected of steroids. He also pushed for stricter testing of HGH and PED’s, so that probably helps his case.
I always thought he should get in, personally.
Definitely deserved it. He is the 3rd best hitting 2nd baseball in history behind Hornsby and Joe Morgan or maybe Alomar. He won a league MVP Award. HR’s, RBI, OPS, SLG%, BA near .300.
Jef Kent is pretty much a known butthead or worse. It’s unfortunate a guy like Lou Whitaker, who was a great guy, may not get in but is well behind Kent in many categories. If it was the hall of good guys, Whitaker would win easily.
Hopefully ends the Votto debate.
As a Giants fan, I’m thrilled and surprised he made it, at least so quickly. People yesterday seemed to mostly say he wasn’t up to par, and were tying part of it to PED’s when the man has never been tied to them prior, was outspoken against them, and clearly hated Bonds. Yet people were acting like they were hanging around juicing together. His numbers don’t scream slam dunk, but realistically he’s one of the most accomplished hitters at 2nd base, and his defense, while never amazing, wasn’t awful either. There was never a time as a Giants fan where I saw Kent and wished the NL had DH. I’m all for advanced metrics, but the man was clutch and produced runs, 100 RBI’s in 8 seasons in a 9 year span, only one missing out at 93 despite only playing 130 games.
Definitely worthy…but so is Lou Whitaker.
Did you not see the other threads about him on here from a day ago?
Might be the most “un-sexy” player to be inducted in recent memory.
Is that his wife or his dad?
Mid selection
His career WAR is 20 below that of Bobby Grich and Lou Whitaker. Neither is in the Hall. He was a mediocre fielder who probably fit better at third base but maybe didn’t have the arm. If you put him at third, he’s just Troy Glaus. He had good numbers during a period where lots of guys had big numbers. His MVP should have gone to Todd Helton. Kent’s OPS that year ranked 11th in the National League. He was 13th in homers and 4th in RBIs. No doubt that he had some good years. But he’s not a HOFer. I watched him play and never thought of him as worthy of the Hall.
The Hall is a joke.
He’s above average without hitting next to Bonds.
Feels more like another fuck you to bonds than a legit pick IMO
The Hall of Fame doesnt have its hits leader HR leader Cy Young award leader and a 400 hitter with the 3rd all time career average.