Former Blue Jay Kent elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame

Former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Jeff Kent has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Hall’s Contemporary Era Committee.

December 7, 2025

Official National Baseball Hall of Fame News Release

(ORLANDO, Fla.) – Jeff Kent, the slugging infielder who totaled more home runs than any second baseman in MLB history, earned election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday via the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee process, it was announced today on MLB Network.

Kent was one of eight candidates on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Ballot, which was considered by a 16-member committee that held meetings on Sunday in Orlando, Fla. The ballot was comprised of player candidates whose primary contribution to the game came since 1980.

Kent was named on 14 of 16 ballots, the only candidate to reach the 75-percent threshold necessary for election.

Kent, 57, will be joined in the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 by any electees who emerge from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting, which will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

A Southern California native who grew up in Huntington Beach, Kent played 17 seasons for the Blue Jays, Mets, Indians, Giants, Astros and Dodgers. A five-time All-Star who earned four starting assignments in the Midsummer Classic, Kent totaled 377 home runs – including a record 351 while playing second base. He reached the 20-home run mark in 12 seasons and totaled eight campaigns with at least 100 RBIs.

A four-time Sliver Slugger Award winner, Kent was named the 2000 National League Most Valuable Player and finished in the Top 10 of the NL MVP voting in three other years. He appeared in postseason play in seven different years and helped the Giants – with whom he spent six of his 17 big league seasons – capture the 2002 National League pennant.

Kent is the only player who appeared at second base in at least 75 percent of his games to total at least 350 home runs, 550 doubles, 1,500 RBIs, 1,300 runs and 800 walks, one of only 13 players at any position to amass that combination of numbers.

The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorate charged with the review of the Contemporary Baseball Era Ballot was comprised of Hall of Fame members Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.), Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Pérez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount; major league executives Mark Attanasio, Doug Melvin (Chatham, Ont.), Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins and Terry Ryan; and veteran media members/historians Steve Hirdt, Tyler Kepner and Jayson Stark. Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark served as the non-voting chairman of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.

Results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Ballot (12 votes needed for election): Jeff Kent (14 votes, 87.5%); Carlos Delgado (9 votes, 56.3%); Don Mattingly (6 votes, 37.5%); Dale Murphy (6 votes, 37.5%); Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela each received less than five votes.

The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee will next consider player candidates in 2028 for the 2029 Induction year, as part of the three-year era committee cycle. By rule, candidates who received fewer than five votes in this election are not eligible for consideration by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in 2028.

The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee Managers/Executives/Umpires ballot will be considered in the winter of 2026 for the Class of 2027. The Classic Baseball Era Committee, which considers player, manager, umpire and executive candidates whose primary contributions to the game came prior to 1980, will consider candidates in the winter of 2027 for the Class of 2028. This three-year cycle will then repeat, with Committees annually scheduled to convene at the Winter Meetings.

The eight Contemporary Baseball Era Committee finalists were selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America-appointed Historical Overview Committee from all eligible candidates whose most significant career impact was realized since 1980. The Historical Overview Committee is comprised of 11 veteran historians: Adrian Burgos (University of Illinois), Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network); Steve Hirdt (longtime statistician and historian); La Velle Neal (Minneapolis Star Tribune); David O’Brien (The Athletic); Jack O’Connell (BBWAA); Jose de Jesus Ortiz (Our Esquina Media); Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram); Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle); Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle); and Mark Whicker (formerly Southern California News Group).

Candidates eligible for consideration as part of the Era Committee process include players with 10 or more big league seasons; managers and umpires with 10 or more major league seasons and retired for at least five years (candidates who are 65 years or older are eligible six months following retirement); executives retired for at least five years (active executives 70 years or older are eligible for consideration regardless of the position they hold in an organization and regardless of whether their body of work has been completed); and Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues players, managers, umpires and executives. All candidates must not be on Baseball’s Ineligible List.

Hall of Fame Weekend 2026 will be held July 24-27 in Cooperstown, N.Y., with the Induction Ceremony slated for Sunday, July 26, 2026. The BBWAA election results will be announced at 6 p.m. E.T. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, on MLB Network.

Also this week, two Hall of Fame award winners will be announced, with the BBWAA selecting its annual Career Excellence Award winner on Tuesday, Dec. 9, for meritorious contributions to baseball writing. On Wednesday, Dec. 10, the Museum will announce the 2026 Ford C. Frick Award winner, given for excellence in baseball broadcasting.