The Baseball Writers' Association of America announced the 2025 Hall of Fame Class on Tuesday, with Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, Dick Allen

Given the trends in baseball over the last 25 years, our thresholds for starting pitchers must be recalibrated to reward short bursts of dominance and sustained excellence.

Ichiro falls a vote short of being the second unanimous choice ever. CC makes it in his first year of eligibility, Wagner in his last. The recent ballot glut has cleared.

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?

Once more, for baseball immortality, Billy Wagner closed it out. Wagner, the dominant closer who played a two-season sliver of his 16-year career with the Phillies, got elected Tuesday night to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his 10th and final year on the ballot.

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball's Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected Tuesday along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, voted in Tuesday along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

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

Ichiro Suzuki, Billy Wagner and CC Sabathia were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. They will go in alongsid

Ichiro Suzuki has made history as the first Japanese player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, leading the 2024 class alongside CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.

Chase Utley is well-positioned to someday reach the 75% mark for election, but Jimmy Rollins and Bobby Abreu are spinning their wheels.