Ichiro Il, the ‘Anta Machine,’ is about to face the first Asian athlete’s Hall of Fame…HOF candidates are up

Japanese batter Ichiro Suzuki (51), who played as a “hit machine” in the U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB), is on the verge of becoming the first Asian player to enter the Hall of Fame.

The Major League Hall of Fame announced on the 19th a list of 14 new and existing candidates who can enter the Hall of Fame in 2025.

Among them, Ichiro is by far the most likely Hall of Fame candidate.

After joining the MLB Seattle Mariners in 2001 after playing for the Orix Buffaloes in the Japanese pro baseball league, Ichiro became a sensation in his first year since his debut. He had a batting average of 0.350 with 242 hits and 56 stolen bases, winning both the American League Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player award.

Since then, he has played for the New York Yankees and the Miami Marlins until 2019, posting a career batting average of 0.311, 117 homers, 780 RBIs and 509 steals. From 2001 to 2010, he had a career-high 3,089 hits, including more than 200 hits in a single season. He was the two-time batting champion (2001 and 2004) in the American League and was named an All-Star 10 times.

As soon as he retired, Ichiro was considered a prospect for future fame. Some said he could enter the Hall of Fame unanimously.

The Hall of Fame(토토사이트) can qualify as a candidate five years after his retirement, and Ichiro became the first candidate to vote after five years of retirement. If more than 75 percent of the votes cast by reporters with more than 10 years of experience belonging to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) are approved, the Hall of Fame will be decided.

Along with Ichiro, C.C. Sabathia, a 200-win pitcher, is also considered one of the most promising candidates for the Hall of Fame. Sabathia, a left-handed pitcher who played for the Cleveland Indians and the Yankees for 19 seasons, posted 251 wins and 161 losses with an ERA of 2.74. With 3093 strikeouts, Sabathia ranks third among left-handed pitchers after Randy Johnson and Steve Carlton. Sabathia received the Cy Young Award in 2007 and was named an All-Star six times.

In addition, Felix Hernandez, Fernando Rodney (pitchers) Russell Martin, Brian McCann (catcher), Dustin Pedroia, Henry Ramirez, Ian Kinsler, Troy Tulowitzki, Ben Zobrist (infielder) Carlos González, Curtis Granderson and Adam Jones (outfielder) were selected.

Among the existing candidates, closing pitcher Billy Wagner, who was unfortunately eliminated last year with 73.8 percent (284 votes) in the Hall of Fame vote, is expected to be the favorite this year. Despite his outstanding performance, Alex Rodriguez will not likely be able to join the Hall of Fame due to his drug history.

The Hall of Fame vote in 2025 is valid until the mail-in vote that is postmarked Dec. 31. The Hall of Fame will announce the results of the vote on Jan. 24 next year.