SF Giants legend Barry Bonds may only get one more shot at the Hall of Fame

Earlier this week, former SF Giants second baseman Jeff Kent was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. On the same ballot, Barry Bonds was among the players to receive fewer than five votes, meaning that he will not be on the ballot during the next election cycle in 2028.

SF Giants legend Barry Bonds may only get one more shot at the Hall of Fame

Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, and Fernando Valenzuela are all lumped into that same group. Bonds Sheffield, and Clemens received considerable support during their 10 turns on the BBWAA ballot, but fell short of the 75 percent needed for induction.

Bonds and Clemens appeared on 66 percent of the ballots in their final year in 2022. Sheffield was included on 63.9 percent of the ballots in his final turn in 2024.

The trio hoped that their Hall of Fame chances would improve after moving to a ballot that is voted on by former players and managers, as well as baseball historians.

That has not come to fruition. Bonds and Clemens were up for election by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee in 2023, and failed to gain any type of momentum. Fred McGriff was a unanimous selection, but Bonds and Clemens received fewer than five votes. Not surprisingly, their past connection to PED use is weighing down their candidacy.

Bonds and Clemens will not appear on the ballot in 2028. They are not eligible after failing to meet the minimum threshold.

The next time they are eligible is in 2031. That could be an important cycle for Bonds and Clemens, if they are nominated at all.

Last year, the Hall of Fame announced a change to the eligibility process. Any player that does not receive at least five votes in multiple appearances from the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee will no longer be eligible for consideration. While Bonds and Clemens have not met that threshold in successive cycles, this is the first year it counts.

It is hard to ignore that these rules have seemingly been put in place to minimize Bonds and Clemens' exposure to the voting process. If you recall, the Hall of Fame reduced election eligibility from 15 years to 10 years in 2014. At the time, Bonds and Clemens had one turn on the ballot. It felt like an intentional move against the seven-time MVP and seven-time Cy Young winner.

The 2031 cycle is years away, but it could represent Bonds and Clemens' final year on the ballot. Players and managers rotate throughout the committee, so any chance they have will depend largely on who is on the committee. If that committee views PED use in baseball like the writers and prior committees, it could be their final chance at reaching the Hall of Fame.