Ichiro Suzuki is all about baseball, but he's much more than that in Japan. “He healed the wounds in Japan’s national psyche,” Kiyoteru Tsutsui, professor of sociology at Stanford University, told The Associated Press.

The Seattle Mariners all-time hit king and owner of several MLB and NPB records received the first of what's likely to be two different Hall of Fame inductions earlier this week.

To this point, only famed Yankee closer Mariano Rivera has been elected to the Hall of Fame unanimously — not Babe Ruth, not Hank Aaron, not Ken Griffey Jr. nor Derek Jeter, just Rivera. Could Suzuki be the second?

NEW YORK – There’s nothing new to my 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, except the pleasure of voting for first-time eligibles Ichiro Suzuki and CC Sabathia. Of the 28 players appearing on this year’s ballot, I checked six boxes. Ichiro, with his all-around brilliance, ought to be unanimous.

Ichiro might be the only inductee this summer. Fine, he deserves the spotlight. But we get 10 votes. Here are mine, ranked, with an explanation for each.

Ichiro has appeared on all 163 public ballots (44.4% of total). Sabathia (93.1%), Wagner (85.1%) and Beltran (80.5%) are above the 80% threshold needed for induction. Hernandez has appeared on 24.7% of ballots.

Baseball Hall of Fame class will be announced Tuesday, and Ichiro is certain to get the call. Will he also have the honor of a unanimous vote?

Next summer’s Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony could have a Yankees’ flavor with right fielder Ichiro Suzuki and pitcher CC Sabathia tracking to be voted in with ease as first-year candidates, and outfielder Carlos Beltran also above the necessary 75 percent threshold.