Cleveland great Kenny Lofton belongs in the Hall of Fame

Cleveland great Kenny Lofton only last one year on the Hall of Fame ballot before falling off, but here is why he deserves another shot at Cooperstown.

Kenny Lofton is a 17-year major leaguer whose time on the Hall of Fame ballot lasted only one year. He spent ten years in Cleveland, from 1992-2001, and finished out his career in 2007 with the team. He was not only one of the premier speedsters in the sport during his career, but one of the best center fielders in baseball. The six-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner also racked up 68.4 WAR throughout his career.

So why did Kenny Lofton get such little Hall of Fame consideration?

Hall of Fame Ballot Results

Kenny Lofton’s only turn on the ballot came in 2013. He received votes on only 18 of 569 total ballots, a lowly 3.2%, and accordingly, fell off the ballot. There are several reasons as to why he was removed from the ballot so quickly. One was that 2013 was one of the most complicated years in voting history. Not only were legendary players such as Dale Murphy, Don Mattingly, Jack Morris, Alan Trammell, and Lee Smith still on the ballot, known (or accused) steroid users were also entering the ballot for the first time in Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Sammy Sosa.

There were just too many names on the ballot whose candidacies were both controversial and interesting. This made it easy for Lofton’s name to get overlooked.

Two, it is clear that the way players were valued at the time is different than today. Yes, Lofton stole 622 bases in his career, good for 15th all-time. However, he only hit 130 home runs in his career and did not even reach 2,500 hits. His .299/.372/.423 batting line is very good but only makes for a .794 OPS and 107 OPS+, which is not particularly noteworthy in a Hall of Fame context. It is easy to look at some of his offensive figures and think that he is not Hall of Fame-caliber. And when compared to some of the players in that 2013 class, it makes sense why writers would overlook Lofton.

Kenny Lofton Is One of the Best at His Position

Hall of Fame candidates should be viewed in two ways. One way is through a historical lens of players at similar positions. Two is through the context of the players’ respective generations.

Kenny Lofton looks pretty good in both ways. Among all center fielders in history, Lofton’s 622 stolen bases are good for sixth all-time. His 68.4 WAR ranks ninth, and his 15.5 dWAR ranks eighth. Lofton’s 68.5 career Baserunning Runs (BsR) ranks sixth all-time. Among center fielders with 6,000 or more plate appearances, Lofton’s .372 on-base percentage is 15th best, and his .299 batting average is 12th best. Additionally, his 945 walks are tenth all-time and 116 triples are ninth. What this all means is that Kenny Lofton is, plausibly, one of the top fifteen center fielders to ever play the game. Center field is a loaded position in the history of the sport and his numbers should not be compared to those of Ken Griffey Jr. or Mickey Mantle to warrant Hall of Fame induction.

If we narrow down Lofton’s career from the perspective of his generation, his case looks even better. Let’s compare him to all outfielders from 1992-2001 who played in at least 800 games. This is a very big sample size, as well as the best ten-year stretch of Lofton’s career. His 52.8 WAR ranks third in the sport, behind Griffey and Barry Bonds and ahead of stars such as Manny Ramirez, Sammy Sosa, Larry Walker, and Andruw Jones. During this period, Lofton was a .303/.379/.428 hitter, good for a .808 OPS and 111 OPS+. These stats closely mirror what Lofton posted throughout his career. During this stretch, Lofton also led the AL in stolen bases for five consecutive years, leading the majors twice.

Lofton Should Get Another Hall of Fame Chance

Kenny Lofton is an underrated player whose career was Cooperstown-worthy. With the ever-evolving landscape of baseball analysis, Lofton is a player who is more appreciated now than he was in 2013. With that said, Lofton could get another shot at induction very soon via the Today’s Game Committee. This is a committee that rules on candidates who fell off the ballot whose careers spanned between 1988 and the present. This committee is voting again for both the 2023 and 2025 Hall of Fame classes. This means Lofton and another center fielder who deserved better, Bernie Williams, might have another shot at Cooperstown glory.

Lofton was a magnificent baserunner and defender who was also an above-average hitter at the plate. He also happens to be one of the greatest players in Cleveland history. He belongs in the Hall of Fame and deserves to get his moment in the sun.