Ichiro Suzuki, who preferred to use only his first name during his distinguished career on the diamond, is virtually certain to become the first Japanese native in Cooperstown next July. The long-time Seattle Mariners star heads the Hall of Fame ballot, issued Monday, that the Baseball Writers Association of America will consider over the next six weeks. His all-but-certain election could also be unanimous, allowing the former outfielder to join Mariano Rivera as the only players to garner all the votes in the annual election.
Only the second man to win Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in the same season, Ichiro accumulated 4,367 hits between the U. S. and Japan – making him the world leader in that department.
He had a lifetime . 311 batting average, twice leading the American League; led the league in hits seven times; and set the single-season hits record with 262 in 2004. Ichiro also won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves, joining incumbent Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Ken Griffey, Jr.
plus Cooperstown contender Andruw Jones as the only outfielders to perform that difficult feat. Jones, in his eighth year on the ballot, drew 61. 6 of the required 75 per cent for election last year and has been steadily approaching enshrinement.
His 434 home runs – including 51 in a single season – should help his candidacy. Jones was also the youngest player to homer in a World Series, a career goal that eluded Ichiro. Another strong contender from last year is Billy Wagner, a diminutive but powerful left-handed closer who had a 2.
31 ERA, 11. 9 strikeouts per nine innings, and 422 career saves. He just missed last year with 73.
8 per cent of the vote but should make it this year in his 10th and final appearance in the “regular” election before his name goes to the Eras Committee. Fellow southpaw CC Sabathia, like Ichiro a newcomer to the ballot, will get strong consideration after winning 251 games in 19 years and fanning more than 3,000 hitters. Sabathia’s resume includes a Cy Young Award and World Series ring, boosting his chances to become the first starting pitcher enshrined since Roy Halladay in 2019.
Also new to the ballot this year are Felix Hernandez, who once threw a perfect game, and standout second basemen Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia. All were major stars in the American League, with Hernandez winning a Cy Young and Pedroia capturing an MVP award while playing for the Boston Red Sox. Chase Utley, also a slugging second baseman, should command another look in his second season on the ballot.
He once hit five home runs in a World Series. Another candidate under consideration for the Class of 2025 is Carlos Beltran, like Jones a polished defensive center-fielder who had speed (312 stolen bases) and hit with power (435 home runs). He drew 57.
1 per cent of the vote last year but might have done better if voters had overlooked his alleged involvement in Houston’s illegal electronic sign-stealing scheme during the 2017 World Series. Whomever wins the vote of the writers, to be announced in January, would join selections of the Eras Committee, which is considering players whose primary impact came before 1980. That vote, by a 16-member panel, will be announced during the Baseball Winter Meetings in Dallas next month.
Players chosen for the Class of 2025 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in ceremonies at Clark Sports Center, a mile from the Hall of Fame, next July 27. They will also realize a financial windfall once they can add the letters “HOF” to their autographs. Because of Ichiro’s immense popularity in two countries, record crowds are expected.
The biggest Induction Weekend crowd to date – an estimated 87,500 – came to the tiny Central New York hamlet in 2007 for the enshrinement of Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr. Cooperstown’s year-round population was estimated at 1,837 in 2023. The Class of 2024 included Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Jim Leyland, and Joe Mauer.
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