Kent to be 90th Legion Baseball alum in Cooperstown

Jeff Kent, along with Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones, will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend.

Former American Legion Baseball player Jeff Kent will officially become the 90^th alumnus of the program enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend.

Kent, who played Legion Baseball in Bellflower, Calif., and later served as a color commentator for the American Legion World Series in 2009 and 2010, will be inducted along with Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones. The induction ceremony for the Hall’s Class of 2026 takes place at 1:30 p.m. July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

The induction ceremony will air live on MLB Network, streamed on MLB.com, broadcast on MLB Network Radio via Sirius XM and simulcast at baseballhall.org.

The Contemporary Era Baseball Committee selected Kent for induction last December. Kent played 17 seasons in the major leagues, with the Blue Jays, Mets, Indians, Giants, Astros and Dodgers. Primarily a second baseman, Kent was the 2000 National League MVP; he was also a four-time Silver Slugger Award winner and a five-time All-Star selection. Of his 377 career home runs, 351 came as a second baseman, the most all-time at that position. He is one of just 13 players with at least 350 career home runs, 550 doubles, 1,500 RBIs, 1,300 runs and 800 walks.

“American Legion Baseball was a stepping stone in my career, and I am thankful for it,” Kent said in a 2010 interview. “Every opportunity a baseball player gets to develop his talent, it should be taken. Never forget that there is no shortcut to success. It takes desire, determination and a dedication to not allow anything to get in the way of that success.”

Legion Baseball alumni in the Hall of Fame

Bob Feller (Adel/Des Moines, Iowa; 1962) 

Ted Williams (San Diego, Calif.; 1966) 

Joe Medwick (Carteret, N.J.; 1968) 

Stan Musial (Donora, Pa.; 1969) 

Roy Campanella (Post 366, Philadelphia, Pa.; 1969) 

Lou Boudreau (Harvey, Ill.; 1970) 

Yogi Berra (Post 245, St. Louis, Mo.; 1972) 

Early Wynn (Hartford, Ala.; 1972) 

Warren Spahn (Buffalo, N.Y.; 1973) 

Ralph Kiner (Alhambra, Calif.; 1975) 

Robin Roberts (Springfield, Ill.; 1976) 

Bob Lemon (Long Beach, Calif.; 1976) 

Eddie Mathews (Santa Barbara, Calif.; 1978) 

Al Kaline (Baltimore, Md.; 1980) 

Bob Gibson (Omaha, Neb.; 1981) 

Frank Robinson (Post 237, Pleasanton, Calif.; 1982) 

George Kell (Swifton, Ark.; 1983) 

Brooks Robinson (Post 1, North Little Rock, Ark.; 1983) 

Don Drysdale (Van Nuys, Calif.; 1984) 

Harmon Killebrew (Payette, Idaho; 1984) 

Pee Wee Reese (Louisville, Ky.; 1984) 

Hoyt Wilhelm (Davidson-Mecklenburg County, N.C.; 1985) 

Bobby Doerr (Post 162, Los Angeles, Calif.; 1986) 

Catfish Hunter (Post 102, Ahsokie, N.C.; 1987) 

Willie Stargell (Alameda, Calif.; 1988) 

Johnny Bench (Anadarko, Okla.; 1989) 

Carl Yastrzemski (Bridgehampton, N.Y.; 1989) 

Joe Morgan (Post 471, Oakland, Calif.; 1990) 

Jim Palmer (Scottsdale, Ariz.; 1990) 

Gaylord Perry (Williamston, N.C.; 1991) 

Rollie Fingers (Post 73, Upland, Calif.; 1992) 

Hal Newhouser (Detroit, Mich.; 1992) 

Tom Seaver (Fresno, Calif.; 1992) 

Reggie Jackson (Cheltenham, Pa.; 1993) 

Steve Carlton (Miami, Fla.; 1994) 

Richie Ashburn (Tilden, Neb.; 1995) 

Jim Bunning (Cincinnati, Ohio; 1996) 

Earl Weaver (St. Louis, Mo.; 1996) 

Phil Niekro (Bridgeport, Ohio; 1997) 

Nellie Fox (St. Thomas, Pa.; 1997) 

George Brett (El Segundo, Calif.; 1999) 

Robin Yount (Los Angeles, Calif.; 1999) 

Sparky Anderson (Post 715, Los Angeles, Calif.; 2000) 

Carlton Fisk (Claremont, N.H./Post 37, Bellows Falls, Vt.; 2000) 

Dave Winfield (Post 606, St. Paul, Minn.; 2001) 

Gary Carter (Fullerton, Calif.; 2003) 

Eddie Murray (Los Angeles, Calif.; 2003) 

Paul Molitor (Post 606, St. Paul, Minn.; 2004) 

Ryne Sandberg (Spokane, Wash.; 2005) 

Wade Boggs (Tampa, Fla.; 2005) 

Bruce Sutter (Mount Joy, Pa.; 2006) 

Tony Gwynn (Post 27, Long Beach, Calif.; 2007) 

Dick Williams (Pasadena, Calif.; 2008) 

Joe Gordon (Portland, Ore.; 2009) 

Jim Rice (Anderson, S.C.; 2009) 

Whitey Herzog (New Athens, Ill.; 2010) 

Doug Harvey (San Diego, Calif.; 2010) 

Roberto Alomar (Post Salinas, Puerto Rico; 2011) 

Bert Blyleven (Garden Grove, Calif.; 2011) 

Pat Gillick (Chico, Calif.; 2011) 

Ron Santo (Seattle, Wash.; 2012) 

Barry Larkin (Cincinnati, Ohio; 2012) 

Bobby Cox (Selma, Calif.; 2014) 

Tom Glavine (Billerica, Mass.; 2014) 

Tony LaRussa (West Tampa, Fla.; 2014) 

Greg Maddux (Post 8, Las Vegas, Nev.; 2014) 

Joe Torre (Brooklyn, N.Y.; 2014) 

Mike Piazza (Phoenixville, Pa.; 2016) 

Jeff Bagwell (Post 75, Middletown, Conn.; 2017) 

Tim Raines (Post 53, Sanford, Fla.; 2017) 

Iván Rodríguez (Post Vega Baja, Puerto Rico; 2017) 

John Schuerholz (Baltimore, Md.; 2017) 

Trevor Hoffman (Anaheim, Calif.; 2018) 

Chipper Jones (Post 6, Deland, Fla.; 2018) 

Jack Morris (Christie de Parcq-St. Paul, Minn.; 2018) 

Jim Thome (Post 979, Bartonville, Ill.; 2018) 

Alan Trammell (San Diego, Calif.; 2018) 

Harold Baines (Post 60, Talbot, Md.; 2019) 

Roy Halladay (Post 178, Lakewood, Colo.; 2019) 

Mike Mussina (Post 104, Montoursville, Pa.; 2019) 

Lee Smith (Natchitoches, La.; 2019) 

Ted Simmons (Southfield, Mich.; 2020) 

Gil Hodges (Post 25, Princeton, Ind.; 2022) 

Fred McGriff (Post 248, Tampa, Fla.; 2023) 

Scott Rolen (Post 147, Jasper, Ind.; 2023) 

Jim Leyland (Post 183, Pemberville, Ohio; 2024) 

Joe Mauer (Post 606, St. Paul, Minn.; 2024) 

Dick Allen (Post 749, Wampum, Pa.; 2025) 

CC Sabathia (Post 550, Vallejo, Calif.; 2025)