Background and career
Jeffrey Franklin Kent (born March 7, 1968) is an American former second baseman who played for 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1992 to 2008. He played for six teams in his career, becoming best known for his six seasons with the San Francisco Giants from 1997 to 2002. A five-time All-Star, he was one of the top power-hitting second basemen in major league history, with twelve seasons of 20 or more home runs and eight seasons with over 100 runs batted in (RBI). After several seasons of modest success for three teams, often being shifted to third base, Kent enjoyed a surge in productivity at age 29 after being traded to the Giants. He led the team in RBI every year from 1997 to 2000, settling into the cleanup spot in the lineup behind Barry Bonds and helping the team win a division title in 1997 by driving in 121 runs. The following year, he hit 30 home runs for the first time and raised his RBI total to 128, and in 1999, he became the seventh San Francisco player to hit for the cycle. He was named the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player in 2000 after leading the team to the best record in the major leagues, batting .334 with 33 home runs, 125 RBI and a career-high 114 runs scored. In 2001, he set a Giants franchise record by hitting 49 doubles, and in 2002, he batted .313 with a career-high 37 home runs as the team captured its first NL pennant in 13 years. Joining the Houston Astros as a free agent, he helped them reach the 2004 playoffs, leading the club with 107 RBI. He retired after four seasons spent with his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers in 2008. Kent's 351 home runs as a second baseman are a major league record, and his career .500 slugging percentage is the second highest at the position, behind only Rogers Hornsby. His 540 doubles in the NL were tied for tenth in league history when he retired, with his career total of 560 being the fourth-most by a second baseman; he also ranked third among second basemen in RBI (1,518) and extra-base hits (984), and sixth in total bases (4,246). His 2,008 games at second base in the NL were third-most in league history when he retired, and he ranked eighth in league history in putouts (3,981), sixth in assists (5,508), and fourth in double plays (1,258). In 2026, Kent was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He subsequently had his number 21 retired by the Giants that same year.
Jeffrey Franklin Kent was born on March 7, 1968, in Bellflower, California. He graduated from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, where he was an All-Orange County selection as a junior shortstop. He was dismissed from the baseball team after clashing with his coach over leadership, culminating in Kent being told to switch to second base, which he did not like; he was soon told to turn in his uniform, which he did. Afterwards, he played with American Legion and Connie Mack League baseball and earned a college scholarship.
Kent played college baseball for the Golden Bears at UC Berkeley from 1987 to 1989. In 1988 he played both in the College World Series, where the Golden Bears were the first team eliminated, and in collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. A broken wrist in the midst of his junior season saw him miss the rest of the year and scared off scouts.
Kent was selected in the 20th round of the 1989 draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, and was assigned to the St. Catharines Blue Jays of the New York–Penn League. He moved up to the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Florida State League in 1990, and the Knoxville Blue Jays of the Southern League in 1991.
Kent was invited to spring training with the Blue Jays in 1992; he was intended to be sent to AAA with the Syracuse Chiefs, but was called up after Derek Bell suffered a broken wrist in the second game of the year. He made his debut on April 12 in a 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, entering in the 5th inning at third base, and recorded his first career hit in his first at bat, a double leading off the 6th inning against José Mesa. He hit his first home run two days later in a 12-6 win over the New York Yankees off pitcher Lee Guetterman. He saw limited at bats early in the season, not getting a hit between April 25 and May 27; however, an injury to starting third baseman Kelly Gruber granted Kent a more regular role in the lineup.
Kent was traded to the New York Mets on August 27, 1992, for pitcher David Cone, as Toronto bolstered their pitching rotation for a successful World Series run; he was awarded a World Series ring despite the trade. His time with the Mets was marked with some success and some failure. Although he batted well, particularly for a second baseman, the Mets were among the worst teams in the National League, never posting a winning record in his five seasons, and finishing with the worst record in the major leagues in 1993. He also struggled in the field, leading NL second basemen in errors in 1993 and 1994. Furthermore, he acquired a poor reputation in the clubhouse, where he was known for a quick temper and isolationism. He refused to participate in his hazing ritual with the Mets, feeling he had left his rookie status back in Toronto. On October 4, 1992, the last day of the season, he started the only game of his career at shortstop to allow Willie Randolph, a longtime star for the crosstown Yankees, to play his final career game at second base.
