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Hall of Fame Voter Who Snubbed Ichiro Suzuki Still Unknown After Ballots Published

Doric Sam

Legendary former MLB outfielder Ichiro Suzuki fell one vote shy of being a unanimous first-ballot Hall of Famer, and the voter who denied him that distinction remains unknown.

The Baseball Writers' Association of America published 321 of 394 Hall of Fame ballots for the 2025 class on Tuesday, and Suzuki appeared on all of them, per the Associated Press.

Suzuki headlines the Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2025 alongside former star pitcher CC Sabathia and former closer Billy Wagner. Legends Dave Parker and Dick Allen were also elected through the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Cooperstown on July 27.

When it was revealed that Suzuki appeared on 393 out of 394 ballots to earn an election to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the 51-year-old handled the moment with grace.

"There's one writer that I wasn't able to get a vote from," he said through a translator last month. "I would like to invite him over to my house, and we'll have a drink together, and we'll have a good chat."

Former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera remains the only player to receive 100 percent of the Hall of Fame vote from the BBWAA, appearing on all 425 ballots for the 2019 class. Fellow Yankees legend Derek Jeter appeared on 395 out of 396 ballots in 2020.

Still, Suzuki undoubtedly had a resume worthy of a unanimous selection. He earned American League Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in his first year with the Seattle Mariners and went on to become a 10-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove Award winner and two-time AL batting champion.

The Baseball Hall of Fame leaves the option up to the voters on whether or not to make their ballots public, so it remains to be seen if the lone voter who didn't include Suzuki will reveal themselves in the future.

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