Ichiro Suzuki's Hall of Fame Major League Career: A Glorious Second Act

Before 27-year-old Ichiro Suzuki burst onto the Major League Baseball scene in 2001, he already had enjoyed a full career in his native Japan. A legendary career,

He played nine seasons with the Orix Blue Wave, achieving remarkable numbers in a relatively short span. That’s especially true when you consider the Japanese season is shorter than an MLB season.

Ichiro played in 951 games in Japan, batting .353 with 1,278 career hits. He had 211 doubles, 23 triples, 118 homers and 529 RBIs.

He won the Japan Pacific League batting title for seven straight seasons before Orix posted his availability to MLB teams, and the Seattle Mariners won the bidding rights to negotiate with him. He was Seattle’s Opening Day right fielder in 2001 -- the first Japanese position player in the majors.

And as he becomes the first player born in Asia to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sunday, it’s worth taking a look at Ichiro’s astonishing MLB career by the numbers and achievements.

The Ichiro Suzuki File
Born: Oct. 22, 1973 
Position: Right field
Debut: April 2, 2001
Final game: March 21, 2019
Hall of Fame entry: Elected by BBWAA, 99.7% votes, first year of eligibility
Teams: Seattle (2001-12, 2018-19), New York Yankees (2012-14), Miami (2015-17)
All-Star selections: 10 – 2001-10
League MVP: 2001
League Rookie of the Year: 2001
Gold Gloves: 10 – 2001-10
Batting champion: 2 – 2001, 2004
Silver Slugger: 3 – 2001, 2007, 2010
Total MLB games: 2,653
Career numbers: .311 average, 3,089 hits, 1,420 runs, 117 homers, 780 RBIs, 509 stolen bases