Ichiro Suzuki becomes first player from Japan to be inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame

Ichiro Suzuki has made even more history. 

The all-time great became the first player from Japan to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class.

The all-time great was just one vote away from becoming the second player to be unanimously selected for induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, getting voted in as part of the 2025 class. Suzuki is the first player ever from Japan to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

C.C. Sabathia and Billy Wagner will join Suzuki as part of the 2025 Hall of Fame class. Sabathia, who was in his first year on the ballot, received 86.8 of the vote. Wagner, who was in his 10th and final season on the ballot, received 82.5% of the vote.

Nominees needed to earn at least 75% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in order to be inducted. Dave Parker and Dick Allen will also be a part of the 2025 class, getting voted in last month by the classic era committee.

With Suzuki falling just short of the unanimous vote, Mariano Rivers remains the only player to be unanimously selected for induction in Cooperstown. He got 100% of the vote from the BBWAA in 2019, appearing on all 425 ballots. Derek Jeter was picked on 395 of 396 in 2020 and Ken Griffey Jr. on 437 of 440 in 2016.

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 and 10-time All-Star and Gold Glove outfielder, hitting .311 with 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 stolen bases with the Seattle Mariners (2001-12, 2018-19), the New York Yankees (2012-14) and Miami Marlins (2015-17).

Suzuki’s perhaps the best contact hitter in baseball history, with 1,278 hits in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and 3,089 in MLB. His combined total of 4,367 is higher than Pete Rose’s MLB record of 4,256. Suzuki had a record 262 hits in 2004.

Sabathia was a six-time All-Star, won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award and a World Series title in 2009. He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, third among left-handers behind Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton, during 19 seasons with Cleveland (2001-08), the Milwaukee Brewers (2008) and New York Yankees (2009-19).

Wagner received 284 votes and 73.8% in the 2024 balloting, five votes shy of the 75% needed when third baseman Adrian Beltré, catcher/first baseman Joe Mauer and first baseman Todd Helton were elected. Wagner’s induction was quite the climb as he received 10.5% support in his first appearance in 2016.

Wagner is the ninth pitcher in the Hall who was primarily a reliever after Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Trevor Hoffman, Lee Smith and Rivera.

A seven-time All-Star, Wagner was 47-40 with a 2.31 ERA and 422 saves for the Houston Astros (1995-2003), Philadelphia Phillies (2004-05), New York Mets (2006-09), Boston Red Sox (2009) and Atlanta Braves (2010). His 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings are the most among pitchers with at least 900 innings.

Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez are among the most prominent players to fall short of induction as part of the 2025 classes. Both players have lagged in voting, getting hurt by suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs. Rodriguez was in his fourth year on the ballot and Ramírez was in his ninth year on the ballot, making next year his last chance to be voted in through the BBWAA.

Other holdovers include Andruw Jones, Chase Utley, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Francisco Rodríguez, Torii Hunter and David Wright.

Pitcher Félix Hernández, outfielder Carlos González and infielders Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramírez were among the newcomers joined by reliever Fernando Rodney, second baseman Ian Kinsler, second baseman/outfielder Ben Zobrist, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, catchers Russell Martin and Brian McCann, and outfielders Curtis Granderson and Adam Jones.

Players joining the ballot in 2026 include Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.