SF Giants have surprise guest throw out the first pitch on Opening Day

The SF Giants usually like to keep who throws out the first pitch a secret until right before game time. This time, is was newly-elected Hall of Famer Jeff Kent who threw out the first pitch to Dusty Baker.

SF Giants have surprise guest throw out the first pitch on Opening Day

As soon as Kent was elected to the Hall of Fame, he was quick to credit Baker for his career taking off with San Francisco. He was selected through the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, appearing on 14 of the 16 ballots.

The power-hitting second baseman was the only player to be elected through that channel in December. He will be joined by Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, both of whom were elected via the BBWAA ballot.

It was a bit unexpected to see Kent be elected to the Hall of Fame. He appeared on the BBWAA ballot 10 times, but never received more than 46.5 percent of the vote. That came in his final turn on the ballot, where players typically see a last-minute boost.

While it was a surprise, his case for the Hall of Fame is strengthened by being one of the best offensive second basemen in baseball history. His 377 career home runs lead that position by a comfortable margin, and no active player at that position is all that close to that mark.

Kent was the best offensive second baseman of his era, and arguably one of the best hitters at his position over the past 75 years. His career totals include an .855 OPS, 2,461 hits, 560 doubles, 377 home runs, and 1,518 RBI.

The right-handed bat was known as a run-producer. He tallied at least 100 RBI in eight seasons, including every year he played for the Giants. His six-year stint with the club was among the best in franchise history.

Kent's playing career concluded after the 2008 season. He has rarely had a presence at Oracle Park over the past two decades, so it was a bit odd to see him in a Giants uniform again and embraced by the fanbase. Odd in a good way.

This will not be Kent's only time out to Oracle Park in 2026. The Giants will retire his No. 21 in the summer in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

How did the rest of the game go? Well, that was about the only highlight from the game. The Giants may have a few more Hall of Famers to celebrate next summer.