Finally, he has been nominated. Japanese batter Ichiro Suzuki, who dominated the Major League in the early 2000s, is aiming to become the first Asian player to join the Hall of Fame.
The MLB Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday 14 new and 14 existing candidates who can be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2025. Among them, 14 new candidates are Ichiro. Among the new candidates are Ichiro, pitchers CC Sabathia, Felix Hernandez and Fernando Rodney, catchers Russell Martin and Brian McCann, infielders Dustin Pedroia, Henry Ramirez, Ian Kinsler, Troy Tulowitzki, Ben Zobrist, outfielder Carlos González, Curtis Granderson and Adam Jones.
Ichiro is most likely to enter the first year.
Having entered the Major League in 2001 after playing in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Ichiro won the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award in his first year with a batting average of 0.350 with 242 hits and 56 steals. It was his first time to win the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award at the same time since Fred Lynn in 1975.
Since then, he has made several achievements, including 200 hits for 10 consecutive years from 2001 to 2010, and 262 hits in 2004, breaking George Sisler’s record. Until he retired in 2019, Ichiro had a career batting average of 0.311, 117 homers, 780 RBIs, 3089 hits, and 509 steals in MLB. His first year of entry is certain, and the key is how much the vote will be.
In response, 토토사이트.COM said, “Statistics do not include the enormous cultural influence that Ichiro brought. Ichiro proved how Japanese fielders can succeed in the United States,” adding, “There may be pros and cons about whether Ichiro’s achievements in NPB should be included by voting, but there is no logical argument against Ichiro being included in all Hall of Fame ballots this year.”
Another player who is likely to join Ichiro in the first year is Sabathia. During his 19 seasons in the MLB, he won 251 games (161 losses) and posted an ERA of 3.74. He has as many as 3,093 strikeouts, ranking third in the history of left-handed pitchers after Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton. He received the Cy Young Award in 2007.
Meanwhile, among the 14 existing candidates, closer Billy Wagner, who received 73.8% of the support in the Hall of Fame vote last year, narrowly fell short of 75% of the Maginot line, is likely to enter this year.
The induction of the Hall of Fame is possible only when more than 75% of the votes of reporters with more than 10 years of experience from the American Baseball Journalists Association (BBWAA). It will be valid until the mail-in ballot postmarked on December 31, and the Hall of Fame will announce the results of the vote on January 24 next year.