'Ichiro and King Felix Among 14 New HOF Contenders'
Seattle Mariners icons Ichiro Suzuki and Felix Hernandez were among the 14 fresh faces on the Hall of Fame ballot revealed on Monday.
The remaining first-timers include CC Sabathia, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Gonzalez, Ian Kinsler, Ben Zobrist, Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin, Brian McCann, Curtis Granderson, Adam Jones, and Fernando Rodney.
Suzuki dominated the American League in 2001, earning both Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player honors. He also made the All-Star team for 10 consecutive seasons and retired with a .311 batting average and 3,089 hits.
Hernandez, a six-time All-Star and the 2010 AL Cy Young winner, threw a perfect game in 2012 and led the league in ERA in 2010 (2.27) and 2014 (2.14). He finished his career with 169 wins and 2,524 strikeouts.
They join 14 returning players, led by relief pitcher Billy Wagner, who missed induction by only five votes in the 2024 ballot. This year's class included Adrian Beltre, Joe Mauer, and Todd Helton. Wagner is in his final year of eligibility.
The other holdovers are Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Andruw Jones, Carlos Beltran, Chase Utley, Omar Vizquel, Jimmy Rollins, Bobby Abreu, Andy Pettitte, Mark Buehrle, Francisco Rodriguez, Torii Hunter, and David Wright.
