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Legendary Second Baseman Jeff Kent Elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
Jeff Kent is headed to Cooperstown.
The former second baseman has been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2026 after a 17-year career with the Blue Jays, Mets, Cleveland, Giants, Astros and Dodgers from 1992-2008. Kent first became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2014, and is now making it in over a decade later.
Welcome Jeff Kent to the Hall of Fame Class of 2026!
— MLB (@MLB) December 8, 2025
He has been elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. pic.twitter.com/Un2lzhPtgH
Related: Analyzing the Best Contemporary Era Hall of Fame Candidates: Jeff Kent
Over his career, Kent was a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger. The former Cal Bear was a 20th-round draft pick by the Blue Jays in 1989, and finally made it up to the big leagues in 1992. He played for the Blue Jays during their 1992 World Series campaign, but was traded to the Mets before their postseason run.
Kent had the best stretch of his career with the Giants, when he was a three-time All-Star and the National League MVP in 2000 as he slashed .334/.424/.596 with 33 home runs and 125 RBIs. The Giants have honored him by making him a member of their Wall of Fame. Throughout his career, Kent hit .290 and compiled a total of 2,461 hits, 1,320 runs, 377 home runs and 1,518 RBIs.
“I’ve used all my cry rags already. The emotions are overwhelming. Unbelievable. Didn’t even expect it for me,” Kent told MLB Network. “There are so many quality guys … a lot of guys that the committee had to argue through and vote for. Grateful that they considered me and gave it a shot for putting me in.
Meanwhile, candidates including Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela did not receive enough votes to be elected into the Hall of Fame. Bonds, Clemes, Sheffield and Valenzuela all received fewer than five votes, and will not be eligible for the Hall of Fame again until 2031.
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Eva Geitheim is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor's in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or re-watching Gilmore Girls.