The Major League Baseball Hall of Fame held its induction ceremony on Sunday. Andruw Jones. Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent were also inducted after waiting several years. Kent got in after receiving 14 of 16 votes from the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, easily surpassing the 75-percent threshold required for election. It was a long-awaited moment for one of the most accomplished offensive second basemen in baseball history.

Kent played 17 seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over those 17 seasons, Kent compiled 377 home runs, collected 2,462 hits, and drove in 1,518 runs. He was a five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 2000 National League MVP.

Those numbers were impressive considering he was a second baseman. Second base has traditionally been associated more with defense, speed, and contact hitting than power. Kent changed that perception. His ability to consistently produce middle-of-the-order power from the keystone position made him one of the most dangerous offensive players of his generation.

Kent’s career really took off when he was with the San Francisco Giants from 1997 to 2002. Kent and Barry Bonds were the most important players in that era for the Giants. In 2000, he had his best season, hitting .334 with 33 home runs and 125 RBIs, and he won the National League MVP Award.

Kent and Bonds were a dynamic duo; Kent protected Bonds in the lineup for a few of those seasons and did great work. Opposing pitchers could not simply pitch around one superstar without dealing with another elite hitter. 

Kent credited Bonds with making him a better player, calling him one of the greatest ever. Kent also gave love to his former Giants manager, Dusty Baker, for telling him to start driving the baseball.

After playing for the Giants, Kent went on to play and have a solid season for the Astros and the Dodgers to close out his successful career.

Kent has to wait longer than many players to get into the Hall of Fame, but he finally did, and I guess that’s all that matters. He was a key figure during one of the most important eras in franchise history. He helped lead the Giants to the World Series. He won an MVP Award. He formed one of baseball’s greatest offensive partnerships with Bonds. And he became the most prolific home run hitter ever at second base.