Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltran Are Headed to Cooperstown - But What About Kenny Lofton?
On Tuesday, two of the game's most dynamic outfielders officially punched their tickets to Cooperstown. Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltran have been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a long-awaited honor for both players whose careers left lasting marks on the game - albeit in very different ways.
Beltran, in his fourth year on the ballot, earned 84.2% of the vote. A true five-tool player, Beltran carved out a career that blended power, speed, and consistency. He’s one of only four players in MLB history to reach 2,700 hits, 400 home runs, 1,500 runs scored, and 300 stolen bases - a rare statistical club that speaks to his all-around brilliance.
Jones, on the other hand, made his name patrolling center field with jaw-dropping range and instincts that bordered on supernatural. He didn’t hit for average - his career mark sits at .254 - but his glove was elite.
With 10 Gold Gloves to his name, he’s one of just six outfielders in MLB history to hit that mark. Jones earned 78.4% of the vote in what was his penultimate year of eligibility, finally getting the nod many had long believed he deserved.
But as we celebrate the long-overdue inductions of Jones and Beltran, it’s impossible to ignore the glaring omission of another elite center fielder: Kenny Lofton.
Lofton’s Hall of Fame Snub Still Doesn’t Make Sense
Kenny Lofton wasn’t just good - he was electric. A six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner, Lofton was the engine behind some of the most exciting teams in Cleveland baseball history. He brought speed, defense, and a knack for getting on base that made him one of the most disruptive leadoff hitters of his era.
Yet, in his first and only year on the Hall of Fame ballot back in 2013, Lofton received just 3.2% of the vote - well below the 5% threshold required to stay on future ballots. That ballot was stacked, no doubt, but the fact that Lofton was one-and-done remains one of the more puzzling oversights in Hall of Fame voting history.
Let’s look at the numbers. Lofton’s career bWAR (Wins Above Replacement) sits at 68.4 - higher than Jones’ 62.7.
He collected 2,428 hits (compared to Jones’ 1,933), scored more runs, and posted a career on-base percentage of .372. And then there’s the speed: 622 career stolen bases, the most in Cleveland franchise history and one of the highest totals of the modern era.
Sure, Jones has the edge defensively with double the Gold Gloves, but Lofton wasn’t exactly a slouch in center. He covered as much ground as anyone in his prime, and his presence on the basepaths changed games. He was a catalyst - the kind of player who could tilt the field just by stepping into the batter’s box.
A Second Chance?
There’s still a path forward for Lofton, though it’s a narrow one. The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee - a panel of historians and former players who evaluate overlooked candidates from 1980 onward - could still right this wrong. Lofton wasn’t on last year’s ballot, but future inclusion is possible, and frankly, overdue.
Now that Jones has earned his spot in Cooperstown, Lofton’s exclusion becomes even harder to justify. Their careers overlapped.
They played the same position. And in many categories, Lofton comes out ahead.
Lofton’s 68.4 bWAR ranks fifth all-time among players not currently in the Hall, trailing only Bill Dahlen, Lou Whitaker, Rick Reuschel, and Curt Schilling. That’s not just a footnote - it’s a red flag for the Hall of Fame voting process.
Bottom Line
There’s no question that Beltran and Jones belong in the Hall. Beltran’s offensive resume is elite, and Jones redefined what it meant to play center field. But if those two are in, there’s no reason Kenny Lofton should still be on the outside looking in.
He was a game-changer, a spark plug, and one of the most complete outfielders of the 1990s and early 2000s. The numbers back it up.
The impact speaks for itself. It’s time the Hall of Fame does the same.