ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hard-nosed to his core and one of the most prolific run producers the second-base position has ever seen, Jeff Kent spent years wondering if Cooperstown would take notice. On Sunday, the answer finally arrived.
A slugger who defined what middle-infield offense could look like, Kent is now a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame -- the lone selection made by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.
“The emotions are overwhelming -- unbelievable,” Kent said on MLB Network. “I didn’t even expect it. For me, there were so many quality guys that the committee had to argue through and vote for. I’m grateful that they considered me and gave it a shot at putting me in.”
Kent received 14 votes (87.5 percent) from the 16-member panel, clearing the 12 needed for election. Carlos Delgado finished with nine votes (56.3 percent), while Dale Murphy and Don Mattingly each received six votes (37.5 percent).
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela each received fewer 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.
Kent will be inducted alongside any BBWAA selections on July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y. The BBWAA’s voting results will be announced at 6 p.m. ET on Jan. 20,
A five-time All-Star who edged his Giants teammate Bonds for the 2000 National League Most Valuable Player Award, Kent hit 351 of his 377 home runs as a second baseman, making him the all-time leader at the position (Robinson Cano is second with 316).
Kent’s 1,518 RBIs rank near the top of the position’s all-time list, while his eight seasons of 100 or more RBIs are the most among second basemen (Charlie Gehringer is second, with seven). Kent’s 1,282 games batting cleanup are the second most among second basemen.
“I always wanted to be in the middle of the lineup in a pressure situation,” Kent said. “I wanted to be a run producer. That’s what they were paying guys to do back in the day: producing runs, driving in runs. Eddie Murray used to tell me all the time when he got bases loaded: ‘Don’t worry about getting them all in. Just get that one run in.’”
Drafted by the Blue Jays in the 20th round of the 1989 MLB Draft, the California-born Kent played for six teams in a 17-year Major League career. He debuted with Toronto and was sent to the Mets in 1992, where he played until being dealt to Cleveland near the midpoint of the 1996 season.
Kent’s game transformed after he arrived in San Francisco in 1997 as the return in a swap that sent the popular Matt Williams to Cleveland, where Kent teamed with Bonds to form the Giants’ most feared power duo since Willie Mays and Willie McCovey.
“The turning point of my career was with Dusty Baker, who I got with when I got to San Francisco,” Kent said. “He was the hitting coach and really motivated me to get to my peak. He told me that if I started to go the other way, then my batting average would go up.
“I was a dead pull hitter early in my career. I started to turn it around in San Francisco. There were so many great moments in the Bay Area with those fans and opening a new ballpark -- it was a phenomenal place for me to play.”
Over the next six seasons, he batted .297 with a .903 OPS, topping 100 RBIs each year. Kent continued producing deep into his 30s with the Astros (2003-04) and Dodgers (2005-08).
A force with runners in scoring position (.300 BA, .897 OPS), Kent was clutch in the postseason, where he hit nine homers with an .840 OPS in 49 games. Though never viewed as an elite defender, Kent was generally steady and slightly above league average in the field.
Despite his strong reputation, Kent never approached election during his 10 years on the BBWAA ballot. His best showing came in 2023, his final year of eligibility, when he reached 46.5 percent. He often chalked that up to a strained relationship with some media members, but the Era Committee changed the ending to that story.
“It’s a moment of satisfaction,” Kent said. “The things that I did right in my career, the things that I consistently stuck to, the hard work, the gratification you get from playing the game the right way. I loved the game, and I still do.”
The Contemporary Baseball Era Players Committee was comprised of: Hall of Famers Fergie Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Pérez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount; MLB executives Mark Attanasio, Doug Melvin, Arte Moreno, Kim Ng, Tony Reagins and Terry Ryan; and media members/historians Steve Hirdt, Tyler Kepner and Jayson Stark.
Kent was largely caught off guard by Sunday’s news -- he said he was in Texas with family and friends, working cows and hunting. He’ll have until July 26 to prepare his remarks for the crowd in Cooperstown.
“I gave no thought to it,” Kent said, with a grin. “I’m wearing holey jeans and dirty boots and just having a good time out here with my grandkids. This is overwhelming.”
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.