Jeff Kent elected to Hall of Fame via Era Committee ballot

Cooperstown welcomed one new member Sunday, as longtime second baseman Jeff Kent was elected to the Hall of Fame via the 2026 Contemporary Era Committee ballot.

Kent received 14 of 16 votes from the committee to gain election. Carlos Delgado received nine votes, while Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy each garnered six.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela all received less than five votes. Under the new Era Committee rules that begin with this year's election, they will be ineligible to appear on a committee ballot again until 2032. If they receive less than five a second time, they'll be disqualified from further consideration.

Perhaps the most prolific slugging second baseman ever, Kent slashed .290/.356/.500 with 2,461 hits and 1,518 RBIs over 17 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Los Angeles Dodgers. His 377 home runs are the most at his primary position. Among second basemen with at least 7,000 career plate appearances, only Kent and Rogers Hornsby (.577) slugged above .500.

Originally drafted by the Blue Jays in 1989, Kent debuted three years later but was traded to the Mets for David Cone - a deal that helped Toronto win the 1992 World Series - in the middle of his rookie season. It took until 1997, when he was traded to San Francisco after a stopover in Cleveland, for Kent to find his stroke.

Kent hit 175 of his homers over six seasons with the Giants, winning the 2000 NL MVP and three of his four Silver Sluggers. As part of a formidable middle-order duo with Bonds, he helped the Giants to three playoff berths and the 2002 NL pennant. Kent also helped Cleveland, Houston, and Los Angeles reach the playoffs.

Sunday's election completes a slow climb to immortality for Kent. He failed to gain serious momentum on the BBWAA ballot until late in his candidacy, topping out at 46.5% in 2023, his final year of eligibility with the writers.

Kent is the first member of the Hall of Fame's class of 2026. He'll be joined on stage by whoever is elected off the BBWAA ballot. Results of that election will be announced on Jan. 20, with inductions set to take place in Cooperstown on July 27.