Miami, FL - Ichiro Suzuki has made history as the first Japanese player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, leading the 2024 class alongside CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.
The trio, who collectively left an indelible mark on the sport, will be inducted on July 27 in Cooperstown, New York.
Suzuki, known for his exceptional contact-hitting skills, received 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), just one vote short of unanimous election.
This achievement cements his legacy as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history.
CC Sabathia secured 342 votes, while Billy Wagner earned 325, both surpassing the 75% threshold required for induction.
Suzuki’s remarkable career began in Japan before he joined Major League Baseball in 2001 at age 27.
In his rookie season, he became only the second player ever to win both the AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP awards in the same season.
Over his 19-year MLB career, he was a two-time AL batting champion, a 10-time All-Star, and a 10-time Gold Glove winner.
Suzuki recorded 3,089 hits in MLB, along with 1,278 in Japan, for a combined professional record of 4,367 hits—surpassing Pete Rose’s MLB record of 4,256.
Suzuki also set the MLB single-season hits record with 262 in 2004 and played for the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins.
Joining Suzuki in the Hall, CC Sabathia was a dominant left-handed pitcher, earning six All-Star selections, the 2007 AL Cy Young Award, and a World Series championship in 2009 with the New York Yankees.
Sabathia's 251 career wins, 3.74 ERA, and 3,093 strikeouts rank him among the most accomplished pitchers in MLB history.
Billy Wagner, one of the most dominant closers in baseball, completes the 2024 class.
Known for his exceptional strikeout rate of 11.9 per nine innings—the highest among pitchers with at least 900 innings—Wagner recorded 422 saves across his career.
A seven-time All-Star, Wagner spent time with teams such as the Houston Astros, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves.
The class will also include Dave Parker and Dick Allen, selected earlier by the classic era committee.
Notably, Mariano Rivera remains the only player to achieve a unanimous vote, while Derek Jeter fell just one vote short in 2020.
This year, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones saw gains in voting percentages, but both fell short of the 75% threshold.
Beltrán’s Hall of Fame prospects continue to be impacted by his involvement in the Houston Astros’ 2017 sign-stealing scandal.
Meanwhile, Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez continue to struggle in the voting due to ties to performance-enhancing drugs.
Looking ahead, the 2026 ballot will feature new candidates such as Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun, and Matt Kemp.
The 2024 Hall of Fame class underscores the global impact of baseball and the enduring legacies of its most iconic players.