Cooperstown: Ichiro is perfect, Sabathia and Wagner about 75%
Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki could become the second player to enter Cooperstown unanimously. The only one to achieve it has been the Panamanian closer Mariano Rivera.
Days after the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) close the voting process for the 2025 ceremony of the Cooperstown Hall of Famehistoric outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is perfect in his attempt to become the first Japanese player to enter the sanctuary of American baseball.
According to the traditional counting of revealed votes conducted annually by the team led by Ryan Thibodeaux and which includes Adam Dore and Anthony CalamisSuzuki was marked on the first 42 ballots declared to the public. The count is available on Thibodeaux’s account on the Bluesky social network.
The launcher CC Sabathiawho like Suzuki is making his debut in the process, was listed on 39 ballots, for 92%, and the reliever Billy Wagnerwho is presented for the tenth and last time to the writers’ jury, received a yes of 38, for 88%.
The Puerto Rican Carlos Beltran (69%), the Curaçao native Andrew Jones (64.3%) and the American second baseman Chase Utley (52.4%) are the others that have been marked on at least half of the revealed cards.
Among Latin American baseball players, Dominicans follow Alex Rodriguez (42.9%) and Manny Ramirez (40.5%) and Venezuelans Omar Vizquel (19%), Felix Hernandez (16.7%), Bobby Abreu (14.3%) and Francisco Rodríguez (9.5%).
To be elected to the Hall of Fame, 75% of the jury is required, which is made up of writers with more than 10 years in the BBWAA. The total number of voters can vary slightly from year to year, but the number has been settled at around 400 in recent times. 5% is enough to keep the candidate on the following year’s ballot for a maximum of 10 years.
The writers received the ballot a month ago and must send it to the Hall of Fame no later than December 31.
The official announcement of the 2025 results will be made on Tuesday, January 21 at 6 pm ET and the candidates who obtain at least three-quarters of the votes will be inducted in the ceremony on Sunday, July 27 in Cooperstown, along with Dave Parker and the deceased Dick Allenwho were chosen by the Classic Baseball Era Committeewhich judges candidates whose main contribution to the game occurred before 1980.
