ORLANDO – San Francisco Giants second baseman Jeff Kent was selected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame earlier today by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. Kent, who appeared on the Contemporary Era ballot for the first time this year, will be inducted alongside next year’s Hall of Fame class in Cooperstown, NY on July 26.
Kent becomes the 62nd player elected to the Hall of Fame that wore a Giants uniform at some point during their career. If Kent goes in as a Giant, he’d be the sixth player to go in as a San Francisco Giant, joining Orlando Cepeda, Willie Mays, Juan Marichal, Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry. Overall, he’d be the 28th player or manager to go in as a Giant in team history.
“On behalf of the San Francisco Giants, we proudly congratulate Jeff Kent on his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Giants President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer. “Jeff’s relentless competitiveness, powerful bat, and unforgettable moments in a Giants uniform left an indelible mark on our franchise and the game itself. We celebrate this long-deserved honor and are grateful that his legacy will now stand forever in Cooperstown.”
“I want to congratulate Jeff on his well-deserved induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Giants President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey. “Jeff’s competitive fire, leadership, and production anchored so many great Giants teams, and his legacy is firmly cemented in our franchise’s history. We’re incredibly proud to see him honored among the all-time greats.”
One of the better offensive second basemen of his generation, Kent’s 377 career homers are the most by a primary second baseman in AL/NL history, while his 1,518 career RBI are third-most among primary second basemen behind only Nap Lajoie (1,599) and Rogers Hornsby (1,584), who are also both in the Hall of Fame. His career .500 slugging percentage is second-best in AL/NL history behind only Hornsby (.577) while his 2,298 career games are 11th-most.
The best years of his 17-year Major League career came with the Giants from 1997-2002, when he posted a 31.6 of his career 55.4 bWAR as one of the pillars of the Giants’ offense. During his six seasons in the orange and black, Kent slashed .297/.368/.535 (.903 OPS) with 247 doubles, 22 triples, 175 home runs, and 689 RBI in 900 career games.
He earned three of his five All-Star selections as a Giant (1999-2001) and was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2000 after hitting .334 with 41 doubles, 33 homers, 125 RBI and a 1.021 OPS in 159 games. Kent also earned three of his four Silver Slugger awards during his stint in SF.
The Bellflower, CA native shone in the postseason as a Giant, batting .290 with five homers and 11 RBI in 24 games. All told, he helped the Giants reach postseason play in three of his six seasons by the Bay (1997, 2000, and 2002).