It was supposed to be a foregone conclusion. When the 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame results were announced on January 21, everyone expected Ichiro Suzuki to join Mariano Rivera as the only players in history to be elected unanimously. Instead, the final tally showed Ichiro receiving 393 out of 394 possible votes.
He got 99.7 percent. That's a mind-boggling number, yet it immediately sparked a manhunt across the internet. Fans and writers alike started asking the same question: who didn't vote Ichiro HOF?
The math is simple, but the motivation is a puzzle. By falling one vote short, Ichiro tied Derek Jeter for the second-highest voting percentage in the history of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) voting. He is the first Japanese-born player to enter Cooperstown, a feat that cements his status as a global icon. Yet, that single missing checkmark remains a glaring asterisk on a nearly perfect resume.
The Search for the Lone Non-Voter
If you’re looking for a name and a face to pin on a dartboard, you’re going to be disappointed. As of early 2026, the identity of the person who left Ichiro off their ballot remains a total mystery.
Here is how the system works: voters have the choice to make their ballots public or keep them private. For the 2025 cycle, 321 voters chose to share their selections with the world. Every single one of those 321 ballots had Ichiro’s name on it.
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That means the "snub" came from the group of 73 voters who kept their ballots confidential. Unless that individual decides to write a column explaining themselves—like Hal McCoy did years ago when he voted for Aaron Boone—we might never know who it was.
Why would someone do it?
It sounds crazy, right? Ichiro had 3,089 hits in MLB after not even showing up until he was 27. If you count his hits from Japan, he has 4,367—more than Pete Rose. He won an MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season. He has ten Gold Gloves.
So, what’s the logic for a "no" vote?
- The "First Ballot" Snobbery: Some old-school voters historically believed that no one should be unanimous, or that certain players don't deserve it on the first try. This line of thinking has mostly died out, but it only takes one person to keep it alive.
- Strategic Voting: In some cases, a voter might leave off a "lock" like Ichiro to use that vote on a player teetering at the 75% threshold, like Billy Wagner or CC Sabathia (both of whom actually made it in 2025).
- The "Small Ball" Critique: There is a tiny, vocal minority of analytics-heavy fans who argue Ichiro’s low walk rate and limited power make him "overrated." It’s a tough sell for a guy with a .311 career average, but baseball writers are a stubborn bunch.
Ichiro’s Hilarious Reaction to the Snub
Ichiro has always been known for his dry, legendary wit. During his induction weekend in July 2025, he didn't let the mystery voter off the hook.
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Initially, when the news broke in January, Ichiro joked through his interpreter that he wanted to invite the person who didn't vote for him to dinner just to see what they were thinking. It was a classic Ichiro move—cool, calculated, and slightly intimidating.
However, during his actual induction speech in Cooperstown on July 27, 2025, he updated his stance. To the delight of the Mariners fans who made the trek to upstate New York, Ichiro officially rescinded the dinner invitation. He basically told the world that the window for a free meal had closed. Honestly, it was the most "Ichiro" way to handle a slight.
Comparing the High-Water Marks
To understand why people are so obsessed with who didn't vote Ichiro HOF, you have to look at the "One Vote Club." It’s an elite and somewhat frustrating list of players who came within a whisker of perfection.
- Mariano Rivera (2019): 100% (425/425). The only perfect score.
- Derek Jeter (2020): 99.7% (395/396). One voter left him off.
- Ichiro Suzuki (2025): 99.7% (393/394). One voter left him off.
- Ken Griffey Jr. (2016): 99.3% (437/440). Three voters left him off.
It’s almost poetic that Ichiro and Jeter are tied. They were teammates in New York, they were both hits kings of their era, and they both fell victim to a single anonymous dissenter.
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What This Means for Future Voting
The fallout from the 2025 vote has reignited the debate about transparency in Hall of Fame voting. High-profile insiders like Jeff Passan have been banging the drum for years: if you have a vote, it should be public. Period.
The argument is that a Hall of Fame vote is a position of public trust within the baseball community. When someone submits a ballot that ignores a clear-cut legend like Ichiro, the fans deserve to know the reasoning. Was it a mistake? Was it a protest? Without a public record, it just looks like trolling.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're still bothered by the fact that Ichiro wasn't unanimous, here is how you can channel that energy:
- Support Ballot Transparency: Follow the BBWAA Ballot Tracker during the winter months. It’s the best way to see who is being transparent and how the trends are shifting.
- Focus on the Induction: Don't let one anonymous ballot ruin the legacy. Ichiro’s plaque in Cooperstown says "Hall of Famer" just the same as Mariano’s.
- Watch the 2026 Ballot: The next cycle features names like Albert Pujols. The "unanimous" conversation will start all over again.
The mystery of who didn't vote Ichiro HOF may never be solved, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a footnote. Ichiro changed the game. He proved that a contact-hitting, base-stealing, laser-armed outfielder from Japan could dominate the American league. One missing vote can't take that away.