Jeff Kent’s Hall of Fame plaque to don SF Giants cap

On Tuesday, the Hall of Fame announced its cap selections for the Class of 2026. Not surprisingly, Jeff Kent’s plaque will have an SF Giants cap. 

Jeff Kent’s Hall of Fame plaque to don SF Giants cap

The remainder of the class includes Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones. Beltrán will wear a New York Mets hat, whereas Jones will don an Atlanta Braves.

There was no real argument for Kent or Jones to be enshrined with a different hat. Kent’s best years came during his six-year run with the Giants, and Jones made a name for himself in the first half of his career with the Braves.

Beltrán appeared in 20 major league seasons, including seven years apiece with the Mets and Kansas City Royals. He also had stops with the New York Yankees, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, and Giants. 

The switch-hitter received nine All-Star nods. His first All-Star appearance came with the Royals. He went on to earn five more All-Star nods with the Mets. His remaining three selections came with the Cardinals (2) and the Yankees (1). 

It is hard to tell the story of Beltrán’s career without mentioning his time with the Royals, Mets, or Astros. Ultimately, some of his best seasons came in a Mets uniform.

On the other hand, Kent’s best years came in a Giants uniform. He earned three NL All-Star nods and one MVP Award with San Francisco. The right-handed hitter tallied at least 20 home runs and 100 RBI in a Giants uniform. 

Kent finished his career with 2,461 hits, 377 home runs, and 1,518 RBI. He is the all-time leader in home runs among second basemen, and leads that category by a comfortable margin. His final home run came against the Giants at Oracle Park in 2008.

In addition to his time with the Giants, Kent appeared with the Toronto Blue Jays, Mets, Cleveland Guardians, Astros, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Following his election to the Hall of Fame, the Giants announced that they would retire his No. 21. The Giants should also have plenty more Hall of Fame celebrations in 2027.