Here's How Felix Hernandez Did in First Year on Hall of Fame Ballot
In this story:
The Seattle Mariners will have another franchise great enshrined in baseball immortality when Ichiro Suzuki gets inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 27.
Suzuki was announced as one of three 2025 inductees alongside CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner on Jan. 21. It was Suzuki's first year on the ballot. On the same day, the Mariners announced that they would retire Suzuki's No. 51 jersey before a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 9.
But Suzuki wasn't the only Seattle great that was on the 2025 ballot for the first time.
The longest-tenured pitcher in the history of the franchise, Felix Hernandez, was also up for the Hall of Fame. And although he didn't get in, he did significantly better than many media members anticipated he would.
Hernandez cleared the 5% of the vote needed to stay on the ballot for another year and finished with 20.6% of the vote.
Hernandez pitched for the Mariners for 15 seasons from 2005-2019. Over that span, Hernandez was a six-time All-Star, and a one-time American League Cy Young winner (2010). He led the MLB in wins once (2009), led the American League in ERA twice (2010, 2014) and threw the only perfect game in franchise history against the Rays on Aug. 15, 2012.
OTD 11 years ago, Félix Hernández threw the 3rd perfect game of the 2012 season.
— MLB Vault (@MLBVault) August 15, 2023
(Philip Humber: April 21st and Matt Cain: June 13th) pic.twitter.com/D0OGfuAXso
Hernandez was a long way off from the 75% needed from voters to get inducted into the Hall of Fame, but there's a chance that he could get the nod sometime in the next several years.
Wagner, one of the three 2025 inductees, was inducted in his last year on the ballot despite debuting with 10.5% of the vote in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2016.
There will be seven new players on the ballot in 2025, headlined by Ryan Braun and Cole Hamels. None of the newcomers on the 2026 ballot are viewed as locks for the Hall of Fame. That fact, coupled with Hernandez exceeded expectations in his first year of eligibility, could open the door for "the King" to find his way into Cooperstown, N.Y., sooner rather than later.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
FORMER MARINERS MANAGER REACHED OUT TO SUZUKI: The Seattle Mariners recent Hall of Fame electee, Ichiro Suzuki, talked about the team's former skipper, Scott Servais, reaching out to him. CLICK HERE
FORMER MARINER CLOSER PAUL SEWALD SIGNS WITH DEFENDING AL CENTRAL CHAMPIONS: The former Seattle Mariners reliever inked a one-year deal with the Cleveland Guardians with a mutual option for a second year that's filled with incentives. CLICK HERE
MARINERS ANNOUNCE GIVEAWAYS FOR SUZUKI JERSEY RETIREMENT: The Seattle Mariners will have several promotional days in the lead up to the 2025 Hall of Fame inductee's jersey retirement. CLICK HERE
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
