SEATTLE — Two of the Mariners' most beloved players in franchise history will be on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025.
Ichiro Suzuki and Felix Hernandez will both be eligible for induction on 2025 ballots. They could join Adrian Beltre, who played five seasons in Seattle and was announced as an inductee in the 2024 class earlier this week.
After Ken Griffey Jr. came just three votes short of a unanimous selection in 2016 (received 437/440 votes), Ichiro could become the first position player in baseball history to ever be voted in by every single voter. Mariano Rivera became the first unanimous selection in 2019 from the well-over 100-year history of professional baseball in the U.S.
Ichiro won the American League MVP in 2001 and broke MLB's single-season hit record with 262 in 2004 while playing in Seattle. In addition to his more than 3,000 hits in MLB, Ichiro previously had amassed over 1,250 hits while playing professionally in Japan.
Hernandez was an AL Cy Young Award winner in 2010 with the Mariners and threw MLB's 23rd perfect game in 2012. The 6-time All-Star was inducted into the Mariners' Hall of Fame during the 2023 season.
Ichiro worked as an advisor with the Mariners after his playing career ended, and still can be seen working out on the field before games and taking in games from a luxury box at T-Mobile Park.
The 2025 induction ceremony is scheduled for the weekend of July 25-27. Any fans planning to see Ichiro's speech in person will want to plan ahead, as Cooperstown, NY is not the easiest travel city, especially from the West Coast. The Hall has an online guide to help baseball fans map out their trip.
