To no surprise, Ichiro Suzuki headlined the class with the most votes of any player this year. The 2001 AL Rookie of the Year and MVP was a 10-time MLB All-Star before he retired in 2019. Earlier this month, he also became the first MLB player to enter the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame.

CC Sabathia’s anticipated election to the Baseball Hall of Fame will hopefully encourage people to think differently regarding the achievements of starting pitchers.

Bay Area native and lifelong Raiders fan CC Sabathia is headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He enters Cooperstown along with legendary Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and Astros Pitcher Billy Wagner.

Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected to the Hall on Tuesday, and all three overcame notable physical obstacles en route to Cooperstown.

Dustin Pedroia was one of several former Red Sox players who landed on the latest Baseball Hall of Fame voting ballot this year.

To this point, only famed Yankee closer Mariano Rivera has been elected to the Hall of Fame unanimously — not Babe Ruth, not Hank Aaron, not Ken Griffey Jr. nor Derek Jeter, just Rivera. Could Suzuki be the second?

The former ace lefty earned the prestigious honor in his first year of eligibility. He spent 7 1/2 of his 19 seasons with the Tribe, winning the AL Cy Young in 2007.

Ichiro Suzuki could join Mariano Rivera as the only unanimous picks for baseball’s Hall of Fame and CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner and Carlos Beltrán also could be elected when results of the writers’ voting are announced.