2001–2019 · RF

Ichiro Suzuki

5' 11", 175 lbs·Lived to 53·Bats L / Throws R

Hall of Fame · 202510×Gold Glove3×Silver SluggerMVPROYAll-Star

The Almanac's Take

The first position player to transition from NPB superstardom to MLB dominance, Ichiro redefined what American baseball valued. His 2004 season produced a .372 average that felt both inevitable and impossible — the culmination of a hitting approach so pure it bordered on performance art.

Those 10 Gold Gloves tell only part of his defensive story. Ichiro turned routine singles into adventures for baserunners, his laser-beam arm becoming appointment television. The 117 career home runs seem modest until you realize he was playing a different game entirely, one where contact trumped power and artistry mattered as much as analytics.

His 2025 Hall of Fame induction caps a career that bridged cultures and eras. While his 94 OPS+ suggests league-average production, that metric misses the point entirely — Ichiro was never about conventional value.

Career Highs

.869

Best OPS · 2004

Most HR · 2005

Most RBI · 2001

.372

Best AVG · 2004

Career Arc · OPS

19 seasons

Statistical Comps

Luis Arraez

97%

2024 season

ISO .078 · K% 4.3 · BB% 3.6 · HR% 0.6

Nico Hoerner

96%

2025 season

ISO .097 · K% 7.6 · BB% 6.0 · HR% 1.1

Career · Batting

19 seasons

Year	Team	G	AB	HR	RBI	AVG	OPS	OPS+
2001	SEA	157	692	8	69	.350	.838	110
2002	SEA	157	647	8	51	.321	.813	109
2003	SEA	159	679	13	62	.312	.788	104
2004	SEA	161	704	8	60	.372	.869	114
2005	SEA	162	679	15	68	.303	.786	105
2006	SEA	161	695	9	49	.322	.786	102
2007	SEA	161	678	6	68	.351	.827	109
2008	SEA	162	686	6	42	.310	.747	100
2009	SEA	146	639	11	46	.352	.851	113
2010	SEA	162	680	6	43	.315	.754	104
2011	SEA	161	677	5	47	.272	.645	90
2012	SEA	162	629	9	55	.283	.696	96
2013	NYY	150	520	7	35	.262	.639	89
2014	NYY	143	359	1	22	.284	.664	95
2015	MIA	153	398	1	21	.229	.561	78
2016	MIA	143	327	1	22	.291	.730	99
2017	MIA	136	196	3	20	.255	.649	86
2018	SEA	15	44	0	0	.205	.460	63
2019	SEA	2	5	0	0	.000	.167	22
Career		2653	9934	117	780	.311	—	—

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