By the way Kaeden Kent's box score looked after Texas A&M's College World Series-clinching win over Oregon on Sunday, one would have thought he was an everyday starter for the No. 3 seeded Aggies.
However, that wouldn't be accurate. Instead, the Aggies' sophom*ore left-handed slugger — who had just 81 at-bats on the season entering Sunday — stepped up in a moment of need.
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The previous day, the Aggies suffered their biggest loss of the season when star outfielder Braden Montgomery went down with a season-ending injury on a play at home. In need of a replacement for MLB Pipeline's projected No. 8 overall pick, Texas A&M manager Jim Schlossnagle called Kent's number off the bench.
And Kent stepped up in a big way, with the Austin native delivering the biggest swing of the night for the Aggies: the go-ahead grand slam in the top of the seven-inning to cap a nine-run inning that helped send Texas A&M back to Omaha, Nebraska for college baseball's biggest party of the season.
On any given night, someone unexpected can become the hero. But for Kent, he was just carrying on the family name in the postseason. His dad, former MLB infielder Jeff Kent, is most famous for his three-run walk-off home run during Game 5 of the 2004 National League Championship against the St. Louis Cardinals, as a member of the Houston Astros.
Now Kaeden Kent looks to continue providing the Aggies with timely swings in Omaha as Texas A&M looks for its first CWS title. With that here's what you need to know about Kaeden Kent and his father going into the College World Series:
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Is Kaeden Kent's dad Jeff Kent?
Yes. Kaeden Kent is the youngest child of the former big leaguer. The elder Kent, of course, was a successful utility infielder throughout his 17 seasons in the big leagues with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), San Francisco Giants, Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jeff Kent stats
Originally drafted in the 20th round of the 1989 MLB Draft by Toronto, Jeff Kent was a five-time All-Star selection and won the Silver Slugger Award four times. In 2000, he beat out his Giants teammate Barry Bonds for the National League's MVP award. That season, the elder Kent finished with a .334 batting average, 196 hits, 125 RBIs and 33 home runs. Jeff Kent was quite the home run hitter in his career, as he is the all-time home run leader among second basem*n, with 377.
Who is Kaeden Kent?
Kaeden Kent is a sophom*ore infielder/outfielder for Texas A&M, and the youngest child of former MLB utility infielder Jeff Kent. He was the No. 500 player in the country, including the No. 177 shortstop, for the 2022 recruiting class, according to his Perfect Game profile. In the state of Texas, he ranked No. 88 ranked overall and No. 18 among shortstops.
The Lake Travis High School product saw a considerable amount of playing time during his true freshman campaign last year, mainly coming in a utility role across the first half of the season. Kaeden Kent appeared in 28 games — 21 of which were starts — in 2023 for the Aggies while hitting .265 with 23 RBIs, four doubles, a home run and a triple.
His early production earned him a spot on the Cape with the Chatham Anglers. In 42 games with the Anglers, Kaeden Kent hit .329 with 22 RBIs, seven doubles and two home runs while earning a Cape Cod League All-Star selection.
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This year for the Aggies, Kaeden Kent has carried a similar role from last year, splitting time in the outfield and infield. Despite entering the CWS with 86 at-bats on the season, he has been Schlossnagle's most-used bat off the bench.
His latest playing opportunity has come in the wake of Montgomery going down with a season-ending lower leg injury in Game 1 vs. Oregon. While the circ*mstances weren’t great, it didn't take long for Kent to capitalize on his situation. In the top of the seventh inning, trailing 9-8 to Oregon, the Austin native capped off a nine run inning for the Aggies with the swing of the night: a grand slam that ultimately led A&M to punch its ticket to the CWS. Kent would go 3 for 5 at the plate with five RBIs, two runs scored and a home run on the night.
"He has earned every single bit of what came to him tonight," Schlossnagle said Sunday. “I believe in the saying that the game knows.”
Added Schlossnagle: "I can promise you this, if I had to make every single decision with my heart, Kaeden Kent would play every single day at whatever position he wants because you know what kind of competitor he is. The way he has handled it this year is defining of our team. That's why he had the moment. Because he hasn't pouted."
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Kaeden Kent stats
Here's a year-by-year breakdown of Kaeden Kent's stats at Texas A&M:
- 2023: .265/.373/.330, 22 hits, 23 RBIs, nine runs, four doubles, a home run and a triple in 83 at-bats in 28 games
- 2024: .302/.465/.408, 26 hits, 21 RBIs, 21 total runs, five doubles and three home runs in 86 total at-bats in 45 games
- Career: .284/.420/.371, 48 hits, 44 RBIs, 30 runs, nine doubles, four home runs and a triple in 169 total at-bats in 73 games
