Former San Francisco Giants standout and longtime MLB second baseman Jeff Kent has officially been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Kent, who suited up for six different teams throughout his career but shined brightest in San Francisco, was selected by the Contemporary Era Committee. He secured 14 of the 16 available votes—two more than the required threshold.
Carlos Delgado fell just short with nine votes, while Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy each received six. Fernando Valenzuela, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Gary Sheffield all collected fewer than five votes, rendering them ineligible for reconsideration when the Contemporary Era ballot returns in three years.
With Bonds and Clemens often viewed through the lens of PED controversy, the group of candidates this cycle lacked a clear-cut, overwhelming favorite. While Kent wouldn’t have been everyone’s choice, his résumé sits on the borderline of Hall of Fame standards—and there are certainly second basemen with weaker credentials already enshrined.
On the other hand, several highly regarded second basemen—such as Chase Utley (currently on the writers’ ballot and unlikely to get in this year), Bobby Grich, Lou Whitaker, and Willie Randolph—remain on the outside looking in. Kent’s induction may prompt renewed attention for their cases.
