Jeff Kent’s unexpected selection to the Hall of Fame has shifted the conversation about who merits induction into Cooperstown. As a middle infielder with tremendous run-producing abilities but a lackluster glove, Kent redefined the second base position, which may have caused the standards for induction to freeze him out until now. Now that the committees that reevaluate player candidacy after the initial BBWAA balloting have seen fit to enshrine Kent, it’s time for Reds legend Dave Concepción to get a second look.
Unlike Kent, Concepción spent most of his career as a shortstop and fit more of the traditional glove-first nature of that position.