Who didn't vote for Ichiro? Suzuki reacts to Hall of Fame election, but MLB fans question one voter's snub

David Suggs

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Who didn't vote for Ichiro? Suzuki reacts to Hall of Fame election, but MLB fans question one voter's snub image

Ichiro Suzuki made his name in Japan and his mark in Seattle. Now, the 51-year old finds a new home: Cooperstown.

The longtime Mariners supernova — who also played for the Yankees and Marlins across a glittering 19-year MLB career — headlines the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class.

A one-time AL MVP — and one of just two players to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season — Suzuki is one of baseball's greatest-ever imports. With Tuesday's announcement, he becomes the first Japanese player inducted into Cooperstown. The fact that he did so on the first ballot is simply the cherry on top, another bit of history for the 10-time All-Star and single-season hit king.

But more history beckoned for Ichiro had the voters – or rather, one voter — been kinder. The multifaceted outfielder fell just one vote shy of being voted in unanimously, the rarest of honors, even among baseball's elite.

Who kept Ichiro off of their ballot? Here's what you need to know.

MORE: Who is in MLB's Hall of Fame class of 2025?

Who didn't vote for Ichiro?

At present moment, it's unclear which BBWAA member left Ichiro off of their Hall of Fame ballot.

The former MLB star is a beloved figure in the world of baseball, one whose style of play — replete with infield singles, outfield assists and home-run saving grabs — captivated audiences across the world. Ichiro tallied the third-most bWAR among position players across his first 10 seasons (54.8), only bested by Albert Pujols (81.4) and Alex Rodriguez (71.5).

That's not to mention Ichiro's NPB stats; the Japanese standout recorded 1,278 hits, 118 home runs and 199 steals on a .353/.421/.522 slash line across nine years with Orix BlueWave. As the first prominent Japanese position player to have success at the major league level, Suzuki paved the way for future MLB stars like Shohei Ohtani, Hideki Matsui, Seiya Suzuki and Masataka Yoshida.

Yet that wasn't enough for the Mariners standout to garner unanimous support from the voters of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Suzuki entered Tuesday evening on a high, with a 100% success rate across ballots released to the public. Suzuki was the standout name on a list filled with them and represented one of only three players on the writers ballot to win an MVP (alongside Rodriguez and Jimmy Rollins).

However, it seems one voter wasn't convinced of his credentials. Suzuki was named on 324 of 325 ballots. One voter opted to keep him out of baseball's eternal home.

He's not the only former Seattle star to receive such treatment. In 2016, Ken Griffey Jr. was inducted into Cooperstown. The Kid was kept off just three of the 440 ballots used (99.3%).

Suffice to say, some across the baseball world felt Ichiro was hard-done by the decision.

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Highest Baseball Hall of Fame voting percentages

While Ichiro won't joined Mariano Rivera as the sport's only unanimous selection for the Baseball Hall of Fame, he can take his place among the greats in more ways than one. In addition to securing a plaque in Cooperstown, Ichiro also ranks as one the most popular players in Hall of Fame voting history.

With an approval rating of 99.7%, Ichiro has the second-highest voting percentage in Baseball Hall of Fame. Here's a closer look at where Ichiro ranks among Hall-of-Fame vote-getters.

PlayerTeamPercentageYear
Mariano RiveraYankees100 (425/425)2019
Derek JeterYankees99.7 (396/397)2020
Ichiro SuzukiMariners99.7 (393/394)2025
Ken Griffey Jr.Mariners99.3 (437/440)2016
Tom SeaverMets98.8 (425/430)1992
Nolan RyanRangers98.8 (491/497)1999
Cal Ripken Jr.Orioles98.5 (537/545)2007

Ichiro, Ken Griffey Jr., more react to Suzuki's HOF election

There was plenty of fanfare regarding Ichiro's selection to Cooperstown. Griffey, who played a pivotal role in getting Ichiro to sign for the Mariners in the first place, surprised his contemporary during an interview with MLB Network's Greg Amsinger.

"Congratulations, Ichiro, truly deserved," Griffey said. "My wife was running around when she found out that you got the call.

"I can't wait to see you. Just one thing: you're bringing the sake, because that's what the rookies have to do. You're now a rookie for the first time in 25 years so I expect a nice bottle of sake for both of us."

"George, thank you very much," Suzuki responded, invoking Griffey's birth name in the process.

Griffey wasn't the only one excited. The baseball world was near universal in its praise for Suzuki, the scraggly slap-hitter like no other.

David Suggs

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.