2026 Modern Baseball Period Committee Candidate: Jeff Kent

The next article is a part of my ongoing have a look at the candidates on the 2026 Modern Baseball Period Committee poll. Initially written for the 2014 election at SI.com, it has been up to date to mirror current voting outcomes in addition to further analysis. For an in depth introduction to this yr’s poll, use the navigation instrument above. An introduction to JAWS will be discovered right here.

Jeff Kent took a very long time to discover a dwelling. Drafted by the Blue Jays in 1989, he handed by means of the fingers of three groups that didn’t fairly understand the worth of what they’d. Not till a commerce to the Giants in November 1996 — previous to his age-29 season — did he actually settle in. As soon as he did, he established himself as a standout complement to Barry Bonds, serving to the Giants grow to be perennial contenders and spending greater than a decade as a middle-of-the-lineup pressure.

Regardless of his late-arriving stardom and a prickly character that generally rubbed teammates and media the fallacious method, Kent earned All-Star honors 5 instances, gained an MVP award, and helped 4 totally different franchises attain the playoffs a complete of seven instances. His résumé provides him a declare because the best-hitting second baseman of the post-1960 growth period — not an iron-clad one, however not one which’s simply dismissed. For starters, he holds the all-time document for most dwelling runs by a second baseman (not counting another positions) with 351. That’s 35 greater than Robinson Canó, 74 greater than Ryne Sandberg, 85 greater than Joe Morgan, and 87 greater than Rogers Hornsby — all Corridor of Famers, and in Hornsby’s case, one from earlier than the growth period. Amongst gamers with no less than 7,000 plate appearances who spent no less than half their time at second base, solely Hornsby (.577) has a better slugging proportion than Kent’s .500. From that latter set, solely Hornsby (1.010) and one other pre-expansion Corridor of Famer, Charlie Gehringer (.884), have a better OPS than Kent (.855).

Offense isn’t all the things for a second baseman, nonetheless, and in a Corridor of Fame dialogue, it must be set in its correct context, significantly given the high-scoring period wherein Kent performed. For instance, his 123 OPS+ is a extra modest tenth amongst gamers who spent no less than 50% of their careers at second and have reached the 7,000-plate look threshold. Taking the measure of all sides of his recreation, Kent seems to have a weaker case as regards to superior statistics than conventional ones.

On crowded BBWAA ballots chock filled with candidates with stronger circumstances on each fronts, Kent struggled to realize assist, debuting at 15.2% in 2014 and never reaching 20% till his seventh yr of eligibility (2020), when he pulled 27.5%. Due to a final-year surge, he reached 46.5% in 2023, a share that units him up for an extended look from the Modern Baseball Period Committee. On a poll the place the 2 hitters with greater profession numbers, Bonds and Gary Sheffield, have been linked to performance-enhancing medicine, Kent is perhaps the probably candidate for election.

Jeffrey Franklin Kent was born in Bellflower, California (a suburb of Los Angeles) on March 7, 1968, the oldest of three sons of Alan and Sherry Kent. Whereas Alan, a bike cop, took his sons to Dodgers video games, they had been extra thinking about motocross — a sport wherein their father competed — than baseball. “I by no means watched baseball on TV,” Jeff advised Sports activities Illustrated’s Franz Lidz in 1999 with no obvious hint of irony. “It’s gradual and boring. I’m not a fan. By no means was.”

Alan, a stern determine and self-described perfectionist, instilled a reasonably joyless model of perfectionism in his son. “I’d go 3-for-4, and he’d chastise me for the out. I’d throw a one-hitter, and he’d inform me I may have gotten the hitter on a curve,” Jeff advised Lidz. 5 years earlier, whereas enjoying for the Mets, he advised the New York Occasions’ Jennifer Frey, “I’m a detrimental man. I’m not a constructive man. That’s what motivates me — the negatives of the sport. The concern of failure, the embarrassment of failure, the concern that I’ll let my teammates down — all that drives me.”

Kent performed baseball at Edison Excessive College in Huntington Seashore, however regardless of being an all-county choice as a shortstop, he was kicked off his crew as a senior resulting from a character battle. In a 1992 profile for the Los Angeles Occasions, coach Ron La Ruffa advised Mike DiGiovanna that Kent had “an angle drawback” and “a nasty case of senioritis.” Kent, for his half, had discovered himself as a center man between a demanding coach and sad teammates who wished their star participant to talk on their behalf, a no-win scenario.

Taking part in American Legion and Connie Mack League baseball that summer season as an alternative, Kent nonetheless secured a partial baseball scholarship to the College of California, Berkeley. He helped Cal to the Faculty World Sequence as a sophomore in 1988, however a damaged wrist ended his junior season (his just one below full scholarship), scared away scouts, and dropped his draft inventory. Nonetheless, he signed with the Blue Jays once they selected him in the twentieth spherical of the 1989 draft, agreeing to only a $15,000 bonus. Splitting his first skilled season between shortstop and third base, he struggled each within the area and on the plate, however confirmed good energy at each minor league cease, in addition to a higher aptitude for second base. He was set to begin the 1992 season at Triple-A Syracuse, however accidents opened a roster spot in Toronto and enjoying time at third and second. In his main league debut on April 12, 1992, he doubled off the Orioles’ Jose Mesa; two days later, he hit his first dwelling run, off the Yankees’ Lee Guetterman.

Kent performed 65 video games for the Blue Jays, hitting .240/.324/.443, however on August 27 — mere days after Dave Winfield joked within the pages of Sports activities Illustrated that he was Wally Pipp-ing injured third baseman Kelly Gruber — they despatched him and a participant to be named later to the Mets for David Cone, who went on to assist Toronto win the World Sequence.

Alas, the Mets had been headed in the wrong way, certain for his or her second straight dropping season after seven (1984–90) with no less than 87 wins. The 1992 squad gained infamy as The Worst Group Cash May Purchase (after the guide of the identical title), however the ’93 one really stunk: New York went 59–103, the crew’s worst displaying since ’65. The 25-year-old Kent spent most of that season because the beginning second baseman, hitting a decent .270/.320/.446 (105 OPS+) with 21 homers in 140 video games, however he was horrible within the area (-20 runs, in keeping with Whole Zone), offsetting almost all of his worth with the bat; he completed with 0.3 WAR.

Kent maintained that offensive stage over the subsequent three seasons, hitting a mixed .284/.333/.457 (108 OPS+) and averaging 15 homers a yr from 1994 to ’96, and his protection improved sufficient that he averaged 2.8 WAR throughout that stretch. Even so, he disliked a 1996 shift to 3rd base, and it took its toll. Extra from Lidz’ 1999 profile:

“I hated third,” he says. It confirmed. As soon as, after a Shea Stadium ball woman backhanded a foul ball, a fan shouted, “Hey, Kent. It is best to commerce positions together with her.” When errors — 21 in 89 video games — started mounting sooner than the nationwide debt, Kent turned defensive about his protection. “Bobbling a ball would so humiliate me that I couldn’t converse,” he says.

The Mets remained mired beneath .500, however Kent caught a break when he was traded to Cleveland in a four-player deal that despatched Carlos Baerga to New York; the Mets, then again, caught a falling knife in Baerga, however that’s a narrative for one more day. Cleveland had gained the American League pennant the yr earlier than and was certain for 99 wins and one other postseason look. Kent stuffed in at first, second, third, and designated hitter down the stretch and began twice in a dropping trigger within the Division Sequence. On November 13, he was a part of a six-player commerce that despatched him to San Francisco, with slugging third baseman Matt Williams headlining Cleveland’s finish of the deal.

Giants supervisor Dusty Baker wasn’t wild in regards to the commerce due to Kent’s mood, however he did return him to second base and batted him cleanup behind Bonds. Now 29 years previous, Kent responded by setting profession highs with 155 video games, 29 homers, 121 RBIs, and 4.1 WAR regardless of a reasonably lopsided .250/.316/.472 line that equated to a modest 105 OPS+. The Giants gained the Nationwide League West at 90–72, however they had been swept by the Marlins within the Division Sequence regardless of a pair of solo homers from Kent in Sport 3. He acquired down-ballot assist within the MVP race, ending eighth within the voting.

Thus started Kent’s six-year run of 20-homer/100-RBI seasons, thanks partially to hitting behind Bonds, an on-base machine in addition to an elite slugger. Kent matured on the plate, immediately capable of hit for each common and energy after altering his stance by holding his fingers increased, an epiphany that got here from watching Edgar Martinez. In 1998, Kent hit .297/.359/.555 with 31 homers and 4.5 WAR, however the Giants misplaced a Sport 163 play-in for the Wild Card — one thing they could have averted had they not gone 11–13 whereas Kent missed most of June resulting from a hyperextended knee.

Kent earned All-Star honors for the primary time in 1999, then took his recreation to a brand new stage in 2000 because the Giants moved into model new Pacific Bell Park (now Oracle Park) and gained the NL West with a 97–65 mark; he hit .334/.424/.596 with 33 homers and seven.2 WAR that yr, all profession bests. The latter mark ranked fourth within the league, however because of his 125 RBIs, he beat out Bonds (who hit .306/.440/.688 with 49 homers, 106 RBIs and seven.7 WAR) within the MVP race. The Giants misplaced the Division Sequence to the Mets in 4 video games regardless of Kent going 6-for-16.

The 2001 season was Bonds’ flip to shine, as he bashed 73 homers to shatter the single-season document and gained his fourth MVP award. By that time, nonetheless, tensions between the 2 stars had been effervescent to the floor. Within the August 27 problem of SI, Kent advised Rick Reilly, “On the sphere, we’re high quality, however off the sphere, I don’t care about Barry and Barry doesn’t care about me. [Pause.] Or anyone else.” Kent himself had a superb yr (.298/.369/.507, 5.2 WAR) and earned All-Star honors, however the Giants missed the playoffs.

The 2002 season noticed highs and lows for the 34-year-old Kent. On March 1, he broke a bone in his wrist, initially claiming it occurred whereas washing his truck. Quickly it surfaced that eyewitnesses reported seeing a motorcyclist crash whereas doing a wheelie close to Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona, the Giants’ spring coaching dwelling; additional info confirmed that it was Kent, driving in violation of his contract. The incident turned the butt of jokes, however the Giants confirmed leniency, and Kent wound up lacking simply 4 video games. On June 25, after yelling at third baseman David Bell, Kent scuffled with Bonds within the dugout. Afterward, he dismissed the altercation, saying it wasn’t a “huge deal” and including it to the “half-dozen instances we’ve finished it earlier than.” Even so, he was additionally reported as telling Baker afterwards, “I would like off this crew.”

For all the pressure, Kent set a brand new profession excessive with 37 homers, hitting .313/.368/.565 en path to 7.1 WAR (second within the league), serving to the Giants win 96 video games and the NL Wild Card; they proceeded to beat the Braves and Cardinals to advance to the World Sequence in opposition to the Angels. Kent hit .276/.290/.621 in 31 plate appearances within the Sequence, homering in a dropping trigger in Sport 2, then homering twice and driving in 4 runs in a 16–4 rout in Sport 5 that put the Giants inside one win of their first championship since transferring to San Francisco in 1958.

In Sport 6, the Giants had been up 5–0 with 9 outs to go when all hell broke free after a pair of three-run Angels rallies, the second keyed by a Bonds error. San Francisco misplaced the final two video games, with Kent going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in Sport 7.

That was it for Kent’s run in San Francisco. In December, he signed a two-year, $18.2 million take care of the Astros, bumping All-Star second baseman Craig Biggio to middle area. Superficially, Kent’s efficiency with Houston (.293/.350/.521 in 2003–04) seemed a complete lot like his six years in San Francisco (.297/.368/.535), however in actuality, hitter-friendly Minute Maid Park was masking his decline. He totaled simply 6.7 WAR over these two years; his OPS+, in the meantime, went from 136 as a Big to 121 as an Astro — good, however not excellent. Kent missed 4 weeks in 2003 resulting from wrist irritation, and once more, his harm most likely price his crew a playoff spot. Regardless of the presence of Biggio, Jeff Bagwell, and Lance Berkman, the Astros went 12–11 in his absence and misplaced the NL Central by one recreation.

Kent earned All-Star honors for the fourth time in 2004 and hit 27 homers. Profession dwelling run no. 300 got here off St. Louis’ Jeff Suppan on September 29, and no. 278 as a second baseman — the record-breaker on the place — got here on October 2 off Colorado’s Adam Bernero. Bolstered by the midseason arrival of Carlos Beltrán, the Astros gained 92 video games and the Wild Card, then beat the Braves to advance to the NLCS in opposition to the Cardinals. Kent homered thrice within the collection, together with his three-run shot off Jason Isringhausen within the ninth inning of Sport 5 offering all the scoring and placing Houston one win away from their first journey to the World Sequence, however the crew misplaced the subsequent two.

A free agent once more, Kent got here full circle, not solely returning to California however signing a two-year take care of the Dodgers, who had gained the NL West in 2004. Alas, he was one of many few shiny spots on a squad that tumbled to 71–91 amid such a slew of accidents that he was certainly one of simply two gamers to succeed in 100 hits. Kent himself was restricted to 115 video games and 0.7 WAR the next yr resulting from wrist and indirect accidents, to not point out deteriorating protection (-18 Defensive Runs Saved). His 14 homers and 68 RBIs ended a string of 9 straight years of no less than 22 homers and 93 RBIs, although his final homer was noteworthy. Hit on September 18, 2006 off the Padres’ Jon Adkins, it was the primary of 4 consecutive ninth-inning homers that allowed the Dodgers to tie a recreation they finally gained. Los Angeles quickly claimed the NL West flag, however regardless of Kent going bananas within the Division Sequence in opposition to the Mets (8-for-13 with a double and a homer), the Dodgers had been nonetheless swept.

In March 2006, Kent signed an extension to cowl the ’07 season with an choice for ’08. At 39, he had yet one more huge yr with the stick left (.302/.375/.500, 21 dwelling runs), although unhealthy protection (-12 DRS) once more offset a lot of his worth, limiting him to 2.2 WAR. Late within the yr, because the Dodgers’ playoff hopes slipped away, he made waves by criticizing the professionalism of a few of the crew’s younger gamers, significantly Matt Kemp. Kent mulled retirement however returned for 2008, then hit simply .280/.327/.418 with 12 homers. He wanted late-August knee surgical procedure earlier than coming again for the playoffs — the Dodgers had gained the NL West at 84–78 — however was restricted to a bench function. In January of the next yr, he introduced his retirement.

…

Kent completed with respectable counting stats (2,461 hits and 377 homers) to accompany a hefty .290/.356/.500 line, significantly for a participant who spent virtually 90% of his profession as a center infielder. Amongst post-expansion gamers who spent most of their careers on the keystone, solely Biggio (3,060), Roberto Alomar (2,724), Canó (2,639), and Morgan (2,517) amassed extra hits, although Jose Altuve (2,388) may surpass Kent subsequent season. Canó’s 335 homers is the subsequent closest complete to Kent’s 377 (it’s 316 to 351 going by the strict cut up as second basemen), however the place he as soon as had a shot of claiming the document, a pair of PED suspensions — together with a full-season one in 2021 — and a fast decline thereafter doomed that quest. Kent can also be the runaway chief in RBIs amongst second basemen, with a 1,518 to 1,306 edge over Canó, and Biggio (1,175) a really distant third.

At a cutoff of seven,000 plate appearances for gamers who spent the vast majority of their careers at second base (of whom there are 47), Kent’s slugging proportion is second, and his batting common is in a digital tie for 14th, however his on-base proportion is in a digital tie for for twenty third. Adjusting for the offensive setting of his period, his 123 OPS+ ranks tenth inside that group, although amongst post-expansion second basemen, it’s a extra spectacular fifth behind Morgan (132), Altuve (127), the unjustly bypassed Bobby Grich (125), and Canó (124). From that vantage, his candidacy for Cooperstown actually has credibility, significantly as a result of second base is usually a defense-first place the place the offensive bar is decrease.

However that bar is decrease as a result of within the center infield, protection counts, and Kent not solely didn’t add additional worth with the leather-based relative to different post-expansion second basemen, he was within the purple — and once more, that is together with these gamers’ time in any respect positions. By Baseball Reference’s mixture of Whole Zone and Defensive Runs Saved, he’s 42 runs beneath common for his profession, which ranks forty first amongst these 47 longtime second basemen. Corridor of Famers Morgan (-48) and Biggio (-100) each rank beneath him, albeit in significantly longer careers, and Altuve (-96) is beneath him as effectively. Forty-two runs beneath common isn’t a terrific place to be, though — to usher in a comparability to a different candidate on this poll — it’s nowhere close to as unhealthy as Sheffield’s -195 runs at third base and within the outfield, a determine so ridiculous I can solely learn it as hyperbole.

Coupling offense and protection and adjusting for ballpark and period, Kent’s complete of 55.4 WAR ranks nineteenth amongst second basemen, respectable however nonetheless 14.1 WAR beneath the common enshrined second baseman and higher than simply seven of the 20 enshrined, none of them BBWAA alternatives. Even amongst these beneath the Corridor common, he’s a mile behind Sandberg (68.0), Alomar (67.0), Biggio (65.5, even with inferior protection), and Chase Utley (64.6), whose careers overlapped together with his. Solely twice did he also have a WAR that cracked the league’s high 10.

That places a dent in his peak WAR, which covers his greatest seven seasons; his 35.8 is tied for twenty eighth. Kent is nearly 9 wins behind the common Corridor of Fame second baseman and beneath 14 of the 20 enshrined as a result of he had simply three seasons of no less than 5.0 WAR and two extra seasons of no less than 4.0. By comparability, Morgan had 10 seasons of no less than 5.0 WAR, and Canó had seven; Alomar, Grich, Ian Kinsler, Dustin Pedroia, Sandberg, and Utley had six apiece. Even on the 4.0-WAR bar, 12 post-expansion second basemen had extra huge seasons.

In the long run, Kent’s 45.6 JAWS is 11.4 factors beneath the Corridor customary for second basemen, twenty second all-time, beneath 12 of the 20 Corridor of Famers. To return to the Sheffield comparability, since I discussed his defensive metrics, his 49.5 JAWS is 6.5 factors beneath the usual amongst proper fielders, a considerable distinction.

Kent’s JAWS hole is just too huge to be made up for by the elements of his résumé that the system doesn’t seize, primarily the awards and the postseason efficiency (a attribute .276/.340/.500 with 9 homers in 189 plate appearances). Exterior of his 2000 MVP award, his highest end was sixth; he made simply 5 All-Star groups and by no means gained a Gold Glove. Kent scores 122 (“a superb risk”) on the Invoice James Corridor of Fame Monitor, however the common rating for a Corridor of Fame second baseman is 161.

When Kent debuted on the 2014 poll, I famous that it was uncommon that my very own system stunned me to such an extent, as the gap between him and the JAWS customary for second baseman was a case the place the info ran counter to my intestine feeling on the time. That stated, it bears remembering that Kent performed in such a high-offense period that 40 gamers with no less than 5,000 plate appearances over the span of his profession (1992–2008) surpassed his OPS+, in distinction to solely six surpassing his RBI complete, and it was the ribbies that made his status. Furthermore, whereas he amassed 9,537 plate appearances, he reached 600 in solely six seasons resulting from accidents and the gamers’ strike, and solely 500 in 11. Solely a few of that owes to being mishandled by the Mets; well being is one other issue.

As I suspected when he debuted, voters had a tough time discovering room for Kent. Every of his first 5 years on the poll featured no less than 10 gamers who rating above the JAWS common at their place, the utmost that a person can vote for below the principles. The depend ultimately decreased:

Kent debuted with simply 15.2% in 2014 and spent the subsequent few years driving a really tiny rollercoaster, with a low of 14.0% in ’15 and a excessive of 18.1% in ’19. With poll house much less of a problem in 2020, he not solely cleared 20% for the primary time however jumped to 27.5% — a stable achieve, however simply the seventh-largest of that cycle. He reached 32.4% in 2021, then principally replicated that with 32.7% in ’22 earlier than leaping to 46.5% in ’23. It took till his closing cycle for him to publish his first double-digit achieve.

Nonetheless, that late surge is critical. Kent has the eighth-highest share of any participant who has but to realize entry; three of these gamers shall be on this yr’s BBWAA poll (which shall be introduced subsequent Monday) and might be elected quickly, whereas Kent is certainly one of 4 on this poll:

Everyone else who has surpassed Maris’ share of the vote has ultimately been elected by way of both the writers or a committee. Some, like Jack Morris (who peaked at 67.7%) and Lee Smith (50.6%) to name upon a few current examples, had comparatively brief waits whereas others, akin to Gil Hodges (63.4%), Tony Oliva (47.3%), and Ron Santo (43.1%) needed to wait many years; Hodges and Santo had been elected posthumously. Relative to the seven gamers above him on the checklist, Kent might be probably the most scandal-free, with no hyperlinks to PEDs, unlawful signal stealing, home violence, sexual harassment, or, uh, electoral self-sabotage. His bike mishap is quaintly amusing by comparability, and his battles with Bonds and vocal advocacy for PED testing factors in his favor, no less than in some quarters. Publish-career, except for showing on a season of the fact present Survivor, certainly one of his most seen actions was a $531,000 donation to endow girls’s sports activities scholarships at Cal, constructing on annual contributions he made all through his enjoying days.

Kent seems to be following within the footsteps of two gamers who would have grazed that checklist a number of years in the past, particularly Alan Trammell and Fred McGriff. Trammell debuted with 15.7% on the 2002 poll however didn’t surpass 20% till 2010, his ninth yr of eligibility (this was again when candidates had 15 years on the writers’ poll). He jumped to 36.8% in 2012, the yr earlier than Bonds and firm began clogging the poll, however slipped beneath 30% for a few years earlier than ending with 40.9% in 2016; he was elected by the Fashionable Baseball Period Committee two years later. McGriff debuted with 21.5% in 2010, and eight years later had solely grown his assist to 23.2%, having topped that mark simply as soon as, by lower than some extent, alongside the best way. In 2019, his tenth and closing yr of BBWAA eligibility, he surged to 39.8%, after which was elected by way of the 2022 Modern Baseball poll.

Between his PED-free status and a statistical case that’s extra interesting by way of dwelling runs and RBIs than WAR and JAWS, Kent is the archetype of an Period Committee choice — a middle-infield McGriff (44.3 JAWS), maybe with much less charisma. I wouldn’t embrace him on my poll if I had one, however then I by no means discovered room for him on my digital or precise ballots both given how far he was beneath the second base customary. Nonetheless, I gained’t be in the least stunned if he’s elected, and if he’s the one one from this panel who beneficial properties entry this yr.