By virtually every metric, Ichiro Suzuki is one of the best hitters to ever play baseball. He’s the kind of player who should require not as much as a second thought before checking his name on a Hall of Fame ballot.
Yet, for one voter, Ichiro wasn’t deserving of Hall of Fame induction in 2025.
On Tuesday, the former MVP, 10-time All-Star and two-time batting champion was named among the three-player class for the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was joined by CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. And while there was no surprise as to Ichiro’s induction, there total vote tally was a shock.
Ichiro fell one vote short of a unanimous first-ballot induction.
Now, baseball writers have been notorious with how they approach the Hall of Fame voting for years. Many have refused to consider any player with ties to PEDs, leaving stars like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens out of Cooperstown. And some hold a near-impossible standard for first-ballot candidates. In the voting history, only Mariano Rivera received a unanimous vote.
But really, Ichiro should have been right there with him. There is no argument whatsoever against his candidacy.
Baseball fans were furious to see that Ichiro fell short of unanimity and wanted that writer to come forward.
This was how Twitter/X reacted
ONE vote??? pic.twitter.com/55py1oozGd
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) January 21, 2025
Baseball Twitter trying to find the one HOF voter who didn't vote for Ichiro: pic.twitter.com/Jlv8Ar53eD
— David Gasper (@dgasper24) January 21, 2025
Who the hell didn’t vote for Ichiro Suzuki? What are we doing here? Revoke that one ballot.
— Steve Perrault (@Steve_Perrault) January 21, 2025
The one person who didn't vote for Ichiro needs to be identified. A public shaming of the highest order is due.
— Corey Miller (@corey_miller5) January 21, 2025
Ego at its finest. Ichiro misses becoming the first position player to be a unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame by ONE vote. Give me a freakin break.
He deserved 100%
— Jen Mueller (@JenTalksSports) January 21, 2025
Upsetting that Ichiro came one vote shy of unanimous. Come on.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) January 21, 2025
They better release the name of the one idiot who didn’t vote for Ichiro https://t.co/2vZYZVog2N
— Peter Appel (@peterappel23) January 21, 2025
this person should have their vote revoked https://t.co/sdYWn2IseA
— Jamie Lynch (@jelynchjr) January 21, 2025
Ichiro missed unanimity by 1 vote. Please step forward, you numbskull
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 21, 2025
