Ichiro becomes first Japanese elected to MLB Hall of Fame

Ichiro headlines the 2025 Hall of Fame class to be enshrined at Cooperstown, New York, which also includes pitcher CC Sabathia and relief pitcher Billy Wagner.

Ichiro made his debut with the Mariners in 2001, becoming the first Japanese position player, as opposed to a pitcher, to play in the US major leagues.

He won both American League Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year honors that year, going on to earn 10 All-Star nods, 10 Gold Glove awards and three Silver Slugger Awards.

He finished his career with 3,089 hits in MLB -- on top of 1,278 he piled up in nine years in Japan. His 4,367 hits as a professional are the most of any player in baseball history.

He amassed two batting titles, 1,420 runs and 509 stolen bases in more than 19 Major League seasons while expanding the horizons for Japanese players aiming to make the move Stateside when some still doubted that their skills would translate to MLB.

In 2004 Ichiro won his second batting title and broke George Sisler's 84-year-old record with 262 hits -- part of a stretch of 10 straight seasons with at least 200 hits.

In his first year of eligibility, the 51-year-old Ichiro fell one ballot shy of unanimous election -- something achieved to date only by Yankees pitching great Mariano Rivera.