Mariners legends Ichiro, Felix Hernandez added to Hall of Fame ballot

SEATTLE – The Mariners will likely add another player to the Baseball Hall of Fame this summer.

Could there be more in the future?

On Monday morning, the Baseball Hall of Fame along with Baseball Writers Association of American (BBWAA), released the official voting ballot for induction in 2025.

Ichiro headlines a group of 14 players added to this year’s ballot, along with 14 holdovers from last year.

The longtime Mariners outfielder and current special assistant to the team’s front office is considered a lock to be on the 75% of votes needed for induction.

Between his nine years spent in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and his 19 seasons following his Major League debut in 2001, Ichiro amassed 4,367 hits, including 3,089 hits in MLB.

In his magical first season where he helped lead the Mariners to a MLB-record 116 games, Ichiro was named the American League Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player, becoming the second player in MLB history to win both awards in the same season. The other was Fred Lynn with the Red Sox in 1975.

Ichiro was named to 10 consecutive All-Star Games from 2001-2010, starting in nine of them. He also won 10 consecutive Gold Glove awards over that span and tallied more than 200 hits in each of those seasons. He led MLB in total hits in seven seasons (2001, 2004, 2006-2010) and set the record for most hits in one season with 262 in 2004.

Perhaps the only drama surrounding Ichiro’s induction is whether he will be the first position player chosen as a unanimous selection. It’s something his good friend and former teammate, Ken Griffey Jr., didn’t achieve. Only Mariano Rivera has been a unanimous selection in the history of Hall of Fame voting.

Joining Ichiro in the class of newcomers is Mariners’ stalwart starting pitcher Felix Hernandez.

While he was inducted into the Mariners’ Hall of Fame last summer, King Felix likely won’t garner induction this summer or perhaps at all in his 10 years of eligibility.

Hernandez made his MLB debut on Aug. 4, 2005. At 19 years and 118 days, he was the seventh youngest pitcher to start a game in his MLB debut since 1969.

Over 15 seasons with the Mariners, he made 418 starts and one relief appearance, posting a 169-136 record with 25 complete games, 11 shutouts, a perfect game and a career 3.42 ERA. In 27292/3 innings pitched, he struck out 2,525 batters. He won the 2010 AL Cy Young finished runner up in 2009 and 2014 while being named to six All-Star teams.

For Hernandez to remain on the ballot of next year, he must be on 5% of the submitted ballots.

The 2025 induction class will be revealed on Jan. 21 on a special telecast on MLB Network.

Hall of Fame induction weekend is July 25-28in Cooperstown, New York.

New to the ballot: Carlos Gonzalez, OF; Curtis Granderson, OF; Felix Hernandez, RHP; Adam Jones, OF; Ian Kinsler (Spokane Indians), 2B/SS; Russell Martin, C; Brian McCann, C; Dustin Pedroia, 2B; Hanley Ramirez, SS/3B; Fernando Rodney, RHP; CC Sabathia, LHP; Ichiro, OF; Troy Tulowitzki, SS; Ben Zobrist, IF/OF

Returning to the ballot (% of vote received, last year): Billy Wagner, 73.8%, 10th-and-final year on ballot; Andruw Jones, 61.6%, 8th year; Carlos Beltrán (Spokane Indians), 57.1%, 3rd year; Álex Rodríguez, 34.8%, 4th year; Manny Ramírez, 32.5%, 9th year; Chase Utley, 28.8%, 2nd year; Omar Vizquel, 17.7%, 8th year; Bobby Abreu, 14.8%, 6th year; Jimmy Rollins, 14.8%, 4th year; Andy Pettitte, 13.5%, 7th year; Mark Buehrle, 8.3%, 5th year; Francisco Rodríguez, 7.8%, 3rd year; Torii Hunter, 7.3%, 5th year; David Wright, 6.2%, 2nd year