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Ichiro Suzuki, First Japanese Inductee, Elected to Hall of Fame with Sabathia and Wagner

Jan 21, 2025, 11:30 PM

Ichiro Suzuki has been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, becoming the first Japanese and first Asian-born player to be inducted. Ichiro received 393 out of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), falling just one vote shy of unanimous election with a 99.7% approval rate. He will be enshrined in Cooperstown this July alongside fellow inductees CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, who received 86.8% and 82.5% of the votes, respectively. Ichiro's induction recognizes his extraordinary career, during which he amassed 3,089 hits in Major League Baseball (MLB) and a combined total of 4,367 hits when including his time in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Debuting with the Seattle Mariners in 2001, he achieved both the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Rookie of the Year awards in his first season, a rare double honor. In 2004, Ichiro set the MLB single-season record with 262 hits, securing his second batting title. CC Sabathia, a pitcher with 251 career wins, and Billy Wagner, who ranks eighth on the all-time saves list, join Ichiro in the Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The induction ceremony will take place in Cooperstown, New York, in July. Ichiro expressed his gratitude for the honor, noting the significance of being the first Japanese player elected to the Hall of Fame. Despite missing unanimous election by one vote, his near-unanimous selection reflects the widespread recognition of his impact on the sport.