Giants legend Jeff Kent elected to Hall of Fame; Barry Bonds snubbed again originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
ORLANDO — One of the most feared sluggers to ever wear orange and black was elected to the Hall of Fame on Sunday, but it wasn’t the one whose case has been discussed most often over the past couple of decades.
In a bit of a surprise, Jeff Kent, the all-time leader in homers by a second baseman, was elected by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee on Sunday. Kent was on the ballot with former teammate Barry Bonds, who failed to receive enough support and will have to wait a few years longer for another shot.
Kent was the only one of eight players on the ballot to receive more than the 12 votes necessary. He had support from 14 of 16 voters and was the only player in double-digits. Bonds received fewer than five votes, the Hall of Fame announced, so he will not be eligible for the committee again until 2031.
Bonds and Kent reached the committee after falling short on the traditional BBWAA ballot. In his 10 years on that ballot, Bonds maxed out at 66 percent, short of the 75 percent required for induction. Kent reached 46.5 percent in 2023, his final year on that ballot, but got in during his first time being judged by a committee.
“I gave no thought to it,” Kent said on MLB Network. “This is overwhelming. Overwhelming … It’s a moment of satisfaction of the things that I did right in my career and the things that I consistently stuck to, the hard work, the gratification that you get from playing the game the right way. I loved the game, I loved the game, and still do.”
Kent will become the 62nd player in the Hall of Fame who has worn a Giants uniform. He said on MLB Network that he will go in as a Giant, noting that his best years came with Dusty Baker and he reached the World Series in San Francisco.
“I want to congratulate Jeff on his well-deserved induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame,” Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey said in a statement. “Jeff’s competitive fire, leadership, and production anchored so many great Giants teams, and his legacy is firmly cemented in our franchise’s history. We’re incredibly proud to see him honored among the all-time greats.”
While Kent rarely is seen around Oracle Park these days, Bonds is a regular, often helping current Giants in the cage before batting practice and providing guidance in the clubhouse. He does not speak often about his Hall of Fame status, but at times over the years — most notably at Willie McCovey’s 80th birthday party — it has been clear what the honor would mean.
Many in the BBWAA stubbornly held firm on Bonds, Roger Clemens and others who fell off the traditional ballot due to PED connections, but by any statistical measure, Bonds’ induction is a no-brainer. On stats alone, he would have gotten in when first eligible a dozen years ago.
Kent’s case has been fascinating, and it was a bit surprising that he failed to gain any traction in his 10 years on the ballot. A five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Kent is one of the best-hitting middle infielders in MLB history. He won the 2000 MVP Award after hitting 33 homers and driving in 125 runs, and he finished his career with 377 homers, 2,461 hits, and 55.4 Wins Above Replacement.
Kent ranks 22nd all-time in WAR among second basemen, and 13 of the men ahead of him are already in Cooperstown. He ranks first in homers as a second baseman and third in RBI.
This year’s Contemporary Baseball Era Committee was made up of seven Hall of Famers (including Juan Marichal), six current or former executives, and three veteran members of the media. The group met on Sunday to discuss the six position players and two pitchers on the ballot.
While Kent can now celebrate, Bonds is running out of time. Starting this year, any candidate who does not receive at least five of 16 votes in multiple appearances on an Era Committee ballot will not be eligible for future consideration. Bonds might have just one more shot at Cooperstown, and it won’t come for years.
Next year’s round should also be kind to the Giants, as it will consider managers, executives and umpires. Bruce Bochy, Baker and Brian Sabean all could be under consideration next December to be part of the 2027 Hall of Fame class. Bochy and Baker, in particular, are considered near-locks to get inducted.
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