MLB MVP and 'Survivor' contestant, Jeff Kent gets Hall of Fame idol in Cooperstown - USA Today

What the report says

USA Today reported that Jeff Kent, Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltran are set to be inducted Sunday into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, with an expected record gathering of 60 Hall of Famers. The 2026 class brings together players from California, Curaçao and Puerto Rico, including Jones as the first Curaçao-born player elected and Beltran as only the third Hall of Famer representing the New York Mets.

Kent enters Cooperstown after a long wait following 10 years on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot, where USA Today said his support never rose above 46.5%. He was later chosen by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee, receiving 14 of 16 votes. Kent’s case is built around his production at second base, including 377 home runs, the most by a player at that position, and his 2000 National League MVP season with San Francisco.

The USA Today profile also highlighted a distinctive part of Kent’s post-playing public image: his 2012 appearance on “Survivor” in the Philippines, where he lasted 22 days and finished 10th. Kent described the show as physically real and socially difficult, saying the deception required by the game was a challenge for him.

Kent is expected to thank former Giants manager Dusty Baker during his induction speech, and USA Today noted that Baker and Bruce Bochy could be considered in a future Hall of Fame era committee vote while Buster Posey becomes eligible on the writers’ ballot. The induction marks formal recognition for one of baseball’s most accomplished offensive second basemen.