Roger Clemens misses out on latest chance to enter Baseball Hall of Fame
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Jeff Kent was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee.
Kent, the 2000 NL MVP winner who played the majority of his career at second base, received 14 of the committee’s 16 possible votes to earn his spot in Cooperstown as part of the 2026 class.
Kent was the only candidate to get the necessary 75 percent of the votes from the 16-person committee. The next closest was Carlos Delgado, who received nine votes out of 16.
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Second baseman Jeff Kent #21 of the San Francisco Giants walks the infield during the MLB game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 19, 2002 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Gary Sheffield – all players linked to using performance-enhancing drugs during their careers – each received fewer than five votes. Fernando Valenzuela, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy also did not receive the necessary votes.
Clemens received support from President Donald Trump before the commission’s vote.
“Roger Clemens, who won 354 games, led his own witch hunt. HE WAS ACQUIRED OF ALL CHARGES!!! If he doesn’t get into the Hall of Fame, he should sue Major League Baseball!” Trump wrote on Truth Social earlier Sunday.
TRUMP FIGHTS FOR ROGER CLEMENS HALL OF FAME BID AHEAD OF COMMITTEE VOTE
“It was the Obama Justice Department (of course!) that viciously went after the great Roger Clemens. ROGER WAS FULLY ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES!!!”
For Clemens, he failed in the 2022 elections by the commission. He received only 65.2% that year.
When this time’s ballot was reviewed in December 2022, Fred McGriff was unanimously elected with all 16 votes. Mattingly received eight votes, while Curt Schilling, who was excluded from the ballot this year, received seven. Bonds and Clemens, as well as Rafael Palmeiro, who was excluded along with Schilling, received fewer than four votes.
Roger Clemens #21 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during a game in the 1990s. (SPX Images/Diamant via Getty Images)
In 2008, Clemens became embroiled in a federal investigation into the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) by several prominent major league players. Clemens testified before Congress that he had not taken PEDs and was acquitted of the federal charge of lying to Congress.
Trump had an even longer claim for Clemens on Saturday.
“The Rocket is right behind another all-time GREAT, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, for most strikeouts. Roger Clemens is the only pitcher who won 300 games not to have the honor of being enshrined in the Hall of Fame, which is a total travesty! The only reason he isn’t is because of rumors and insinuations, which have not been proven. taking steroids, Roger, who always denied taking drugs, was FULLY ACQUITTED OF ALL CHARGES, a nickname he earned very early in his career due to his blazing fastball, was just as dominant before these false allegations were made against him. The Commissioner has the strength, wisdom and power to do the right thing and enshrine Roger Clemens into the Baseball Hall of Fame IMMEDIATELY. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.
Bonds and Clemens would be Hall favorites had their MLB careers not been tainted by the accusations. Both Bonds and Clemens were excluded from the 2022 BBWAA ballot after the former received 66% of the vote (260 of 394) and the latter received 65.2% of the vote (257). You also need 75% of the vote to be inducted into the Hall.
Roger Clemens #22 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays during the game at Yankee Stadium on April 13, 2003 in the Bronx, New York. (Al Bello/Getty Images)
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Bonds, of course, is still the MLB home run king, having hit 762 in his career, while also holding the single-season home run record (73). He has won seven NL MVP Awards, while also making 14 All-Star appearances.
Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, has the third-most strikeouts in league history with 4,672, only behind Ryan (5,714) and Randy Johnson (4,875).
Regular voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) will be announced on January 20, 2026 to complete next year’s class.
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