Jeff Kent, who holds the record for home runs by a second baseman with 351, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday. The 57-year-old five-time All-Star received 14 of 16 votes from the contemporary baseball era committee, surpassing the 12 votes needed for induction.
Kent\'s selection came as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens failed to gain sufficient support, moving closer to permanent exclusion from Cooperstown. Both players received fewer than five votes on the 16-member ballot.
Under new Hall of Fame guidelines introduced for this ballot, players receiving five or fewer votes become ineligible for the next era consideration. They can be nominated in subsequent cycles, but a second showing of five or fewer votes results in permanent ineligibility.
Bonds, Clemens, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela all fell below the five-vote threshold. If nominated when their era returns in 2031 and fail to reach five votes again, it will end their candidacies under current rules.
The candidacies of Bonds and Clemens have been controversial due to their association with performance-enhancing drugs. Kent, who played alongside Bonds in San Francisco during his best seasons, declined to comment on his former teammate\'s Hall case.
\"Barry was one of the best players I ever saw play the game, amazing,\" Kent said. \"I\'ve always avoided the specific answer you\'re looking for, because I don\'t have one. I\'m not a voter.\"
Kent played 17 seasons across six franchises and won the 2000 NL MVP award with the Giants. That season he hit .334 with 33 home runs and 125 RBIs. His 377 career homers include his record 351 at second base.
Kent appeared on the Baseball Writers\' Association of America ballot for all 10 years of eligibility after retiring in 2008. He peaked at 46.5% support in 2023, his final year of BBWAA consideration.
\"The time had gone by, and you just leave it alone,\" Kent said. \"This moment today, over the last few days, I was absolutely unprepared. Emotionally unstable.\"
Carlos Delgado received nine votes, the second-highest total. Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy each garnered six votes. All three remain eligible for nomination when the contemporary era reconvenes in 2028.
Kent will be inducted on July 26, 2026, at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown. The BBWAA will announce its 2026 Hall of Fame class on January 20.
