VIDEO: Ichiro Suzuki Hits 84 MPH With Ceremonial First Pitch at Seattle Mariners Opener
In this story:
SEATTLE -- Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki showed off his trademark arm on Thursday night, registering 84 MPH with his ceremonial first pitch before the M's Opening Night game against the Athletics.
Ichiro hits 84 MPH on the radar gun. CC: @buster_espn pic.twitter.com/Ci92C4MxxX
— Brady Farkas (@RefuseToLosePod) March 28, 2025
Ichiro, who had arguably the best throwing arm in baseball during his playing days, was honored before the game. He'll be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown later this summer and will become the third Mariners player to wear an M's hat on his Hall of Fame plaque, joining Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.
He will have his number 51 retired by the team in August.
Ichiro was a professional for 28 seasons between his time in Japan and the United States. He played for the Mariners, New York Yankees and Miami Marlins, earning more than 4,300 combined professional hits. He was a 10-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glover. He also won two batting titles and three Silver Slugger Awards.
He helped the Mariners to an American-League record 116 wins in 2001 and also helped the M's get to the ALCS that same year. Sadly, he never got to the playoffs with the Mariners again, but his legacy lives on. He won the Rookie of the Year and the American League MVP that season.
Ichiro is the the first Japanese player to make the Hall of Fame.
He still works for the team in an advisory capacity and is a frequent guest at T-Mobile Park, always in full uniform.
The Mariners and A's will play again on Friday night. First pitch is 6:40 p.m. PT.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
NEW PODCAST IS OUT! Brady is back for another episode of "Refuse to Lose," where he reacts to the Mitch Haniger release from all angles. Did Haniger actually want to be released? Then, Brady makes his prediction for the Mariners in 2025 and talks with former big-leaguer Dan Winkler, who works at Driveline Baseball, a Washington-based company. CLICK HERE:
JULIO LEADS THE WAY: Julio Rodriguez led all of spring training in RBIs with 23! If that's any indication, he could be primed for another star season. CLICK HERE:
CLUBHOUSE MESSAGE: In extending Cal Raleigh, the M's have sent the right message to the clubhouse. 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 @RefuseToLosePod. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
