Ichiro Suzuki: Why He Might Be the Greatest Hitter of All Time
By Manny Gómez
In honor of Ichiro Suzuki, who decided to hang up his cleats after playing in the final game of a two-game set against A’s in Japan, let’s make a case for why he’s arguably the greatest hitter of all time.
Before ever stepping on a big league field, Ichiro Suzuki had already established himself as one of the premier hitters on the planet. Nine years before making his MLB debut, Ichiro started his baseball career with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan’s Pacific League.
While there, in nine seasons, Ichiro had a ridiculous .353 BA, .421 OBP, and .522 SLG. This got the attention of big league clubs.
Ultimately, the Seattle Mariners won the right to negotiate with Ichiro by paying the Orix Blue Wave over $13M. In the end, Ichiro would sign a 3-year deal with the Mariners and prove to be an integral part of the record-breaking 116-win 2001 team.
That season, Ichiro’s transition from Japan to the US was seamless. The “Wizard,” as he would later be called, had arrived.
Today, some may argue that Ichiro is the greatest hitter of all time. I tend to agree.
That is why in honor of his retirement, we have decided to highlight all of his accomplishments in MLB. So, without further ado, let’s begin with his first major accomplishment.