Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki becomes first Japanese-born player elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame

Ichiro came one vote shy of unanimous induction in the 2025 class

There was no question that Ichiro Suzuki would be elected to the National Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility; the question was, like Ken Griffey Jr. before him, if he would earn the honor with unanimous votes. That wouldn’t happen, as one voter left Ichiro off their ballot; whether the omission was one of deliberate or casual incompetence isn’t clear. What is clear is that Ichiro’s singular career – a trailblazer in so many ways – will earn recognition in baseball’s most exclusive club, as he was one of three players elected today by the BBWAA.

Ichiro, who appeared on 393 of 394 ballots, was the highest vote-getter of this class with 99.7% of the vote, followed by C.C. Sabathia, also a first-ballot Hall of Famer (86.8%). Ichiro’s mark of 99.7% ties him with Derek Jeter for the highest percentage of votes ever other than Mariano Rivera, the only player to ever be inducted unanimously. Billy Wagner, one of the greatest relievers of all time, also earned induction to the Hall, finally clearing the required 75% threshold in his final year of eligibility.

Former Mariners great Félix Hernández, in his first year on the ballot, received 20.6% of votes and will remain on the ballot next year. In earning election to the Hall, Ichiro joins his former teammates Edgar Martínez (class of 2019) and Ken Griffey Jr. (class of 2016), as well as broadcaster Dave Niehaus (class of 2008), who called so many of Ichiro’s famous moments – most famously, maybe, the “Star Wars” throw. His signature humor was on display in a post-induction video call where Ken Griffey Jr. made a surprise appearance, congratulating Ichiro and telling him that since he’s a rookie member of the Hall, it’s his job to bring the sake to Cooperstown this summer. “George!” replied Ichiro, laughing.

Ichiro becomes the first Japanese-born player to earn induction to the Hall. He was already a star in his native Japan before coming over to the Mariners—something he did because the Mariners “were the highest bidders,” he said through longtime interpreter Allen Turner. Ichiro starred for almost a decade for the Orix Blue Wave before making the move to MLB, where he earned Rookie of the Year accolades and league MVP (one of just two players to ever accomplish that feat) to begin his fourteen-year career with the Mariners – twelve years to begin, followed by his final two years in the 2018-19 seasons. He is one of just seven players in MLB history with 3,000 hits and 500 stolen bases, and set the MLB record for most hits in a single season in 2004. He’s tied with Pete Rose as the all-time leader for most seasons with 200 or more hits, with 10.

One meaningless vote aside, Ichiro is the quintessential definition of a Hall of Famer: someone who changed the course of baseball history with his talent, style of play, longevity, and global impact on the game. For a franchise like the Mariners, too often relegated to the dustiest corners of baseball history, he been a luminary whose star has shone bright and long in the Pacific Northwest. Now, he belongs to the highest stratosphere of that baseball history, just where he belongs.