Ichiro Voted Into Baseball Hall of Fame
Ichiro Suzuki become first Japanese player in Hall of Fame. Just misses unanimous selection
Going into the Baseball Hall of Fame announcement on Tuesday, it was widely expected that Ichiro Suzuki would be included in this year's Hall of Fame class, becoming the first Japanese player and the 22nd player from outside the United States to be inducted. Much of the discussion centered around whether or not he would become the second player in Hall of Fame history to be unanimously selected, following pitcher Mariano Rivera. Ultimately, he fell one vote short, with 384 of 385 members of the Baseball Writers' Association voting for Ichiro's inclusion.
Ichiro's near-perfect induction puts him in the same category as his former teammates Ken Griffey Jr. and Derek Jeter, along with other legendary players like Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan, and Ty Cobb.
Ichiro enters the Hall of Fame as professional baseball’s all-time leader in hits, with 4,367 (3,089 in MLB and 1,278 in Japan)—more than Pete Rose’s 4,256. He broke George Sisler’s single-season hits record of 257 in 2004, setting a new mark of 262.
Suzuki came to Major League Baseball from Japan as a 27-year-old in 2001 and joined Fred Lynn in 1975 as the only players to win AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP in the same season. He was a two-time AL batting champion, a 10-time All-Star, and a 10-time Gold Glove outfielder. He finished his career with a .311 batting average, 117 home runs, 780 RBIs, and 509 stolen bases, playing for the Seattle Mariners (2001-12, 2018-19), New York Yankees (2012-14), and Miami Marlins (2015-17).
Ichiro became a cultural phenomenon in Japan when he joined the Seattle Mariners, surpassing the interest generated by Hideo Nomo's MLB debut in 1995. Robert Whiting, in The Samurai Way of Baseball, described Ichiro as a daily inspiration for fans, standing out as a slender Japanese player leading American teammates to victory. Though less visible during his time with the BlueWave in Kobe, his fame exploded internationally, with games broadcast live and on tape in Japan. After retiring in 2019 at age 45, Ichiro reflected on his dream of playing until 50 as a key motivator in his remarkable career.
While Ichiro’s personal success and records within baseball stand out, he also won a Japan Series championship with the Orix BlueWave and led his country to two World Baseball Classic championships. However, the lack of team success in MLB is perhaps the only shortfall of his career, as he never appeared in or won a World Series. His postseason opportunities were limited, despite being the star player on the Seattle Mariners team that won a record 116 games in 2001.
