Sabathia, Ichiro, Wagner elected to Hall of Fame

The population of Cooperstown just grew by three.

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, and Billy Wagner were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by Baseball Writers Association of America voters Tuesday as part of the class of 2025. All three icons received more than the required 75% of the votes.

Ichiro missed being elected unanimously by one vote. His 99.746% total is second only to Derek Jeter, who also fell one vote shy of unanimous election and finished at 99.748% (396 of 397 ballots).

Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones came up a few votes shy of election.

Ichiro, the first Japanese player elected to Cooperstown, is unquestionably the star of the class. Over 19 seasons between the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, and Miami Marlins, he hit .311/.355/.402 with 3,089 hits, 117 home runs, 780 RBIs, and 509 stolen bases. Ichiro started his career with 10 straight 200-hit seasons and led the league in hits eight times, including a single-season record 262 in 2004. He also won 10 Gold Gloves and the 2001 AL MVP and Rookie of the Year.

This is Ichiro's second Hall of Fame call in January. Last week, he was elected to the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

Sabathia was baseball's premier workhorse over 19 seasons between Cleveland, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the Yankees. He retired with a 251-161 record, 3.74 ERA, and 3,093 strikeouts. A six-time All-Star, Sabathia won the 2007 AL Cy Young with Cleveland and earned the 2009 ALCS MVP while pitching the Yankees to a World Series title.

The big left-hander is one of 15 pitchers with 250-plus wins and 3,000 strikeouts and one of only three southpaws in the 3,000-K club. Additionally, his 3,577 1/3 innings are the most in the 21st century.

A force in the ninth inning, Wagner's 422 saves rank eighth all time and second among left-handers. Among pitchers with at least 900 innings, Wagner's lifetime 11.9 K/9 rate tops the list, while his 1.00 WHIP ranks third. The seven-time All-Star becomes the ninth reliever and first southpaw closer in Cooperstown.

Wagner gained entry to the Hall in his 10th and final year of eligibility, completing a remarkable rise from the bottom of the ballot to baseball immortality. Only Scott Rolen (10.2%) reached Cooperstown with a lower first-year percentage than Wagner's 10.5%in 2016.

The 53-year-old, who pitched for five teams over 16 big-league seasons, was emotional upon receiving his long-awaited phone call.

Ichiro, Sabathia, and Wagner will enter the Hall of Fame alongside Dick Allen and Dave Parker, who were elected in December on the era committee ballot. Longtime Cleveland Guardians broadcaster Tom Hamilton will also be honored on induction weekend as the winner of this year's Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence.

The class of 2025 will be formally inducted July 27 in Cooperstown.