Kent will join any players selected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting in the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The induction ceremony is scheduled for July 26.
The BBWAA voting ends on Dec. 31. The results of that election will be announced on Jan. 20. Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones are considered to be the leading candidates.
The vindication for Kent was accompanied by more disappointment for Bonds and Clemens. This is the 12th time the duo has been refused baseball’s highest honor.
The first 10 came when they fell short of the required 75 percent in voting done by the BWAA from 2012-21. They were then rejected by a committee vote in 2022.
Bonds and Clemens, who have been linked to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, are not eligible for consideration again until 2031. If Clemens and/or Bonds are on that ballot, they would need to receive at least five votes to remain eligible for future consideration.
The 63-year-old Clemens was rejected despite the support of President Trump, who posted on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that the committee should “do the right thing” by voting for the former Red Sox ace.
Trump’s support of Clemens dates back to August when they played golf at Trump National in Virginia.
Statistically, Clemens was one of the most accomplished pitchers in history. He was 354-184 with a 3.12 ERA over 24 seasons starting in 1984. He won seven Cy Young Awards, two World Series, and was an 11-time All-Star. Clemens played the first 13 seasons of his career for the Red Sox.
Bonds, 61, hit a record 762 home runs for the Pirates and Giants and was a seven-time MVP. The slugger also drew a record 2,558 walks, 688 of them intentional.
For now, Bonds and Clemens will remain in limbo for at least another five years.
Kent, 57, topped out at 46.5 percent on the BBWAA ballot. The five-time All-Star hit 377 home runs, a record 351 while playing second base.
Kent was the 2000 National League MVP batting fourth behind Bonds. He finished his career with 560 doubles, 1,518 RBIs, 1,320 runs, and 801 walks.
This year marked the first time Kent was considered by an oversight committee.
Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social.
