Overview
- Kent was the lone selection from an eight‑player ballot and surpassed the 12‑vote threshold required for induction.
- Carlos Delgado received nine votes, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy got six each, and Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela each drew fewer than five.
- Under the Hall’s rule change, candidates with fewer than five votes are excluded from the committee’s next three‑year players cycle and cannot return before 2031, with a second sub‑five result ending future eligibility.
- The 16‑member panel of Hall of Famers, executives and media met at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, with each voter allowed up to three selections.
- Kent will be enshrined in Cooperstown on July 26, 2026, with any BBWAA electees to be announced on January 20.