Ichiro Suzuki, a beloved figure in both Japan and the United States, has secured a permanent place in baseball history with his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. At the age of 51, Suzuki became the first Japanese player to be elected to the Hall of Fame. In his first year of eligibility, he received an impressive 99.7% of the votes, just one vote short of unanimous selection. Mariano Rivera, a former New York Yankees closer, remains the only player to achieve a perfect 100% vote.
Joining Suzuki in this year’s class are former starting pitcher CC Sabathia and closer Billy Wagner, both elected by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. They will be inducted alongside the Classic Baseball Era Committee electees, late players Dick Allen and Dave Parker, during the ceremony on July 27.
Before Shohei Ohtani became a sensation, Suzuki was the figurehead who captured the attention of both Japan and the U.S. He made history with his MLB debut in 2001 with the Seattle Mariners, becoming the first Japanese position player to sign with a major league team. From the start, Suzuki was a standout and quickly established himself as a star in the league.
Ichiro Suzuki, who won both the American League MVP and AL Rookie of the Year Awards, made an immediate impact in MLB. He led the AL with a .350 batting average and topped all of baseball with 242 hits and 56 stolen bases in his rookie season.
In 2004, Suzuki set a single-season record with 262 hits, securing his second batting title with a .372 average. Along with his offensive prowess, Suzuki excelled defensively, winning his first Gold Glove award in his rookie year and earning a total of 10 consecutive Gold Glove awards throughout his career. He was also a 10-time All-Star between 2001 and 2010.
Suzuki became the first player in MLB history to achieve 10 consecutive seasons with over 200 hits, joining the exclusive 3,000-hit club in 2016. He retired in 2019 with 3,089 MLB hits after 19 seasons. Combining his MLB and Japan career stats, Suzuki holds the record for the most hits in baseball history, with 4,367, surpassing Pete Rose’s 4,256 MLB hits. Along with a .311 career batting average, Suzuki also stole 509 bases. In addition to playing for the Mariners, he also had stints with the Yankees and the Miami Marlins.
Joining Suzuki in the Hall of Fame class is CC Sabathia, who was elected in his first year of eligibility with 86.8% of the vote. Sabathia played 19 seasons across Cleveland, Milwaukee, and New York. Over his career, he posted a 251-161 record, a 3.74 ERA, and 3,093 strikeouts. He won the AL Cy Young Award in 2007 with Cleveland and helped the Yankees win the World Series in 2009.
Billy Wagner, a 53-year-old closer, was elected in his final year of eligibility, receiving 82.5% of the vote. Wagner, who spent 16 seasons with teams including the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Atlanta Braves, finished his career with 422 saves and a 2.31 ERA.
To be elected to the Hall of Fame, candidates must appear on at least 75% of the ballots from eligible BBWAA voters. For the 2025 election, with 394 ballots cast, candidates needed 296 votes to be elected.
