Under-appreciated and Under-hyped, Ichiro is One of the Best

He's never in the public eye, he has never had a run-in with the law, and he'll never be caught on film yelling at a teammate or manager. So why don't we, both everyday sports fans and media personnel, discuss the phenomenal player that Ichiro Suzuki is? It is easy to see that Ichiro will be one of the best hitters to ever step on an MLB diamond, yet he rarely even makes Sportscenter highlights. He is perhaps the most under-appreciated star with very little recognition to the greatness he has achieved.

Ichiro stormed into the league in 2001

Coming into the league at the age of 27, Ichiro wasted no time in taking over as the best hitter in the MLB. In 157 games, the rookie accumulated 242 hits while batting an unbelievable .350. Not to mention he swiped 56 bases which led the league. He won Rookie of the Year and was named AL MVP in that same 2001 season and certainly lived up to the hype that followed him overseas when he first came from Japan. Yet as we have seen so many times as of late, very few players that come from Asia pan out to be as successful as we believe they should be. Players like Hideki Matsui and Daisuke Matsuzaka enjoyed a little success, but have never been big-time, must-have players. Ichiro donned the teal and navy blue in Seattle and made a name for himself that was sure to stand out.

And boy has he stood out. The man has been in the league for what is now his 13th year and has 2,607 hits at print time. 13 seasons and almost 3,000 hits? Absolutely unheard of. Bear with me as we dive into a little math lesson. If we average it out, Ichiro has averaged just over 200 hits in his previous 12 seasons. He came into the league at age 27 which is when most players enter their prime. Imagine if Ichiro came in like Bryce Harper at age 19. Hypothetically speaking, if Ichiro even had 150 hits in each of those eight seasons before he reached the age of 27, he would still have 3,807 hits.

With that being said, let's give him more credit. Say he did in fact average 200 hits per season since he came into the league at 19 (again hypothetically). This would then be his 20th season and he would have around 4,000 hits. Pete Rose's record stands at 4,256 in his 24 seasons of ball. Ichiro would only be 256 hits short with 4 years less of experience in the league! If Ichiro came into the league at age 19, averaged 200 hits per season as he is right now, and played 24 seasons like Pete Rose did, he would end his MLB career with about 4,800 hits. Let me say that again, 4,800 hits.

Ichiro's blazing speed has helped him swipe 452 bases

Again, that was all hypothetical and for fun. But look at what Ichiro has done for the game of baseball and we haven't even taken the time to appreciate it. His name won't come up in any steroid scandals, and he has the potential to join the 3,000 hit club despite coming into the league at the age of 27. His career batting average is currently at .322 which accomodates his 10 Gold Gloves and 10 All-Star selections. He is without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer and with his second season as a New York Yankee underway, he doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon. He is one of the greatest hitters to step up to the plate, and it's about time we recognize the honest greatness of Ichiro Suzuki.