The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee has announced the election of Jeff Kent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame during the Winter Meetings in Orlando. Kent was named on 14 of the 16 ballots needed for induction, surpassing the required 12 votes.

Other candidates who faced the committee this year included Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela. The Contemporary Era Hall of Fame vote provides a second chance for players previously on the BBWAA ballot.

A panel of 16 members met to assess the merits of eight candidates before voting. Kent, who retired with a batting average of .290 and ranks first in home runs among second basemen, has requested to be inducted with a Giants logo on his plaque, reflecting his significant tenure with the team.

Despite being a prolific hitter and a five-time All-Star, Kent only garnered a maximum of 46.5% of the votes during his 10 years on the BBWAA ballot. Kent is now the 21st Hall of Famer at his position and is slated for induction in July, joining the other inductees announced by the BBWAA in January. Bonds and Clemens could potentially face longer exclusion from consideration due to their low vote numbers this year.