Hideki Matsui – 1st year on Ballot
If we were to add Hideki Matsui’s production in Japan to his major league totals, he would easily be in the Hall of Fame.
That is not to say that his decade in the majors was subpar. “Godzilla,” as he was called, proved to be an excellent power hitter in his career, especially during his time with the Yankees. He was a two time All Star, and had five seasons of 20 or more homers stateside. Matsui even had a final moment of glory before leaving New York after the 2009 season, being named the World Series MVP that year.
During his time stateside, Matsui posted a .282/.360/.462 batting line, hitting 175 homers and 249 doubles. Even though he was not considered a great defensive outfielder, Matsui still notched 41 outfield assists, and had ten career double plays in left. He had a good arm, although it would occasionally lead to trouble.
The problem with Matsui is that he just did not have a long enough career in the States. He dominated in Japan, hitting another 332 homers overseas. If his totals were combined, he would be a certain Hall of Famer. However, as he is only being judged on his time in major league baseball, his career just does not measure up.
Hideki Matsui was one of the greatest power hitters to come from Japan, and he performed well in the majors. He just did not have a strong enough career to make the MLB Hall of Fame.