Ichiro debuted in Major League Baseball in 2001 with the Seattle Mariners, the first Japanese position player to span the Pacific and an instant star. Left-handed pitcher Hideo Nomo preceded him, and Hideki Matsui came just after, both boosting the country’s confidence in a period of national malaise.

Among baseball's newest Hall of Famers, Ichiro Suzuki came one vote shy of a unanimous election – something that has only happened once in history. At a media conference in Cooperstown on Thursday, the first-ever Japanese Hall of Famer joked about the lone member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America who did not include him on their 2025 ballot.

Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzukibecame the newest member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ichiro was voted into Cooperstown in his first year of eligibility, and appeared on 393 of 394 ballots.

Mariners great Ichiro garnered support from 393 of the 394 Baseball Hall of Fame voters, tying Derek Jeter for the highest percentage among position players.

Derek Jeter, Sadaharu Oh and Hideki Matsui were among many to offer their praises Tuesday after former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki became the first Asian player elected to the U.S. National Baseball Hall of Fame.