default-cbs-image

Jeff Kent is never making the Hall of Fame, but he has a better case than most players to whom that comment is attached.

Kent finished his 17 seasons with 2,461 hits and 377 home runs to go with his career 123 OPS+. Point to Kent's 2000 MVP Award, his five All-Star Game appearances, his four Silver Slugger Awards -- those aren't getting him enshrined. Neither are his advanced statistics, since he falls 14 wins short when stacking up his Wins Above Replacement with those of the average Hall of Fame second baseman. Dayn Perry laid out more of his accomplishments (all offensive in nature) last year and nothing has changed.

Rather, the best argument for Kent has to do with precedent -- and how he was a better player than many second basemen who found their way into Cooperstown.

To wit, Kent accumulated more WAR than Hall of Famers Billy Herman, Bobby Doerr, Nellie Fox, Tony Lazzeri, Bid McPhee and Johnny Evers, among others, per Baseball Reference. Strip away active players, and Kent ranks 16th all time at the keystone -- with 12 of those ahead of him earning induction into the Hall. (Bobby Grich, Lou Whitaker and Willie Randolph are the exceptions.) Good company, right?

Of course, best or otherwise, no one seems to take that argument seriously. Kent is in his fifth year of eligibility, but he's earning just 11 percent of the vote -- he had previously earned between 14 and 17 percent. The 10-player limit is almost certainly to blame for the decline in votes, given this year's ballot is full of superior players with easier cases.

Even so, Kent was statistically the third-best second baseman of his generation -- behind Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar and Craig Biggio. His success likely helped usher in a new wave of offensive-minded second basemen -- like Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia  and Ian Kinsler -- whose careers have made his seem less special by comparison.

That's too bad for Kent, but hey, he had a heck of a career all the same.