Jeff Kent, the former National League MVP and all-time leader in home runs by a second baseman, was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Kent earned election through the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, which evaluates players whose main contributions came after 1980. He received 87.5% of the vote from the 16-member committee, surpassing the 75% threshold needed for induction. Other candidates considered included Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela. Delgado earned 56.3% of the vote, Mattingly and Murphy each received 37.5%, and Bonds, Clemens, Sheffield, and Valenzuela fell short with fewer than five votes.
A five-time All-Star, Kent played from 1992 to 2008 for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He won the NL MVP award in 2000 after hitting 33 home runs, driving in 125 RBIs, and posting a career-best .334 batting average. Of his 377 career home runs, 351 came as a second baseman, setting a major league record for the position.
Kent had previously appeared on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot for 10 years, reaching a high of 46.5% of the vote in his final year of eligibility in 2023. Hall of Fame rules now bar candidates who receive fewer than five votes on an Era Committee ballot from appearing again for three years, with future appearances also restricted if they again fall below five votes.
Kent will be joined by any players elected by the BBWAA, whose results will be announced on Jan. 20. Returning candidates include Carlos Beltrán, who received 70.3% in 2025, and Andruw Jones at 66.2%. First-time eligible players this year include Ryan Braun, Alex Gordon, Matt Kemp, and Cole Hamels.