Former Dodgers Infielder Gets Surprise Election to Hall of Fame

Dodgers second baseman Jeff Kent, right, speaks with Duke Snider at press conference to announce Kent's retirement at Dodger Stadium on Jan. 22, 2009. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jeff Kent probably won't have an "LA" logo on his Hall of Fame plaque someday. He hit nearly half of his 375 career home runs as the primary second baseman in San Francisco from 1997-2002.

But Kent will bring some fond memories of his time as a Dodger with him to Cooperstown. In December 2004, Kent signed with his hometown team. He would play the final four seasons of his career in Los Angeles, retiring in January 2009.

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Sunday, Kent was chosen to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Era committee.

"I didn't think I was going to play that long," Kent said Monday at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Florida, when asked about his time in Los Angeles. "I thought I was going to go to Houston, play a couple years, try to sign as a free agent for a couple more years. It didn't happen.

"(Former Dodgers GM Paul) DePodesta with L.A., had signed me to play and it was a great opportunity because I was going back home," Kent continued. "I grew up in Southern California. I bought front-row tickets for my parents to come to the games every day and watch me play."

Congratulations to former Dodger Jeff Kent on being elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Class of 2026! https://t.co/25ur6y83KJ

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) December 8, 2025

Kent made the National League All-Star team for the fifth and final time in 2005, when he slashed .289/.377/.512 with 29 home runs and 105 RBIs as the Dodgers' primary seocnd baseman.

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From 2006-08, Kent averaged 124 games a season, but still managed to slash .292/.363/.466 (114 OPS+) and add 46 home runs and 206 RBIs to his career totals. He retired with 2,034 games played as a second baseman — 13th all-time — and no one hit more home runs at the position (354) than Kent.

On Monday, Kent recalled one moment from the 2008 season with the Dodgers that informed his decision to retire at age 40.

"Not a lot of people know this story," he said. "There were some players that had told me, your physicality might not get you out of the game, but your brain is going to do that. I remember a moment, sad to say ... as I'm playing second base in L.A., a guy hits the ball to right field and I never saw the ball. I'm looking at home plate, I'm jumping, and he hit the ball, and I hear it hit, and I didn't see it, and I had no idea what was going on. I look at my teammates, they're all going out to right field.

"So I run out to right field, catch the ball from the outfielder, and it was no big deal. And I never saw the ball. And I knew at that moment I was done. My brain was gone. I couldn't focus anymore."

Still, Kent has mostly fond memories of his time in Los Angeles.

"That was a great cap to the end of my career," he said Monday. "I got to play for (Joe) Torre. ... I got to finish out with Nomar Garciaparra, who was there too. I got to play with (Greg) Maddux and Orel Hershiser."

Kent was one of three former Dodgers players, along with Fernando Valenzuela and Gary Sheffield, who were up for Hall of Fame consideration by the committee.

Sheffield and Valenzuela received fewer than five votes. Former Dodgers manager Don Mattingly received six. At least 12 votes from the 16-member committee was required for induction; Kent received 14.

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