Ichiro Suzuki played his first nine seasons of pro baseball with Orix in Japan, where he was a three-time Pacific League MVP and seven-time Pacific League Batting Champion.  In 2001, Ichiro was eligible to play in Major League Baseball, and the Mariners outbid everyone for his rights, though some skeptics thought he would be too slight to succeed as he had in Japan.  Those skeptics were quickly proven wrong.

Ichiro became the second player to win the MVP and Rookie of the Year (following Fred Lynn) and began a ten-year streak of All-Star Games.  Suzuki was the best contact hitter of the 2000s, leading the American League seven times in Hits and finishing second in the other three years.  Not surprisingly, it led to two Batting Titles (2002 & 2004), and he never finished lower than seventh in his first MLB decade in Batting Average.

In addition to his batting acumen, Ichiro was an upper-tier defensive Outfielder.  Winning the Gold Glove in all of his first ten years, Ichiro was also excellent on the basepaths, leading the AL in that category in 2001 (56), and had nine other seasons in the top five.

After 2010, Ichiro’s play would decline, but he was still a draw around the league.  Ichiro played for the Yankees from 2012 to 2014 and then the Miami Marlins for three years before returning home to Seattle to end his career.

Ichiro finished with 3,089 Hits and 509 Stolen Bases.  Counting everything he did in Japan, Ichiro is the all-time Hit King in Baseball.

There should be no doubt that Suzuki will make history as the first Japanese player to make the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.  Any other outcome would be a disaster.

Ian Kinsler made his first appearance in the Majors with the Texas Rangers in 2006, and he quickly cemented himself as one of the better Second Basemen in the American League.

Over his career, Kinsler showed power and speed with four 20-plus HR seasons, blasting 257 in total with 1,999 career Hits.  He nearly matched his HR tallies in Stolen Bases, swiping 243 bags, and was underappreciated defensively.  Kinsler did win two Gold Gloves but could have won more, as the ones he did land were later in his career, and he had better defensive metrics in other years, namely with three 2-plus Defensive bWAR seasons.

Kinsler went to three All-Star Games with the Rangers and was traded to Detroit in 2014, where he continued to display the same skills.  Again, he was an All-Star that year and remained vital for three years before he declined and finished off his career with Los Angeles (AL), Boston, and San Diego.  Notably, he won his only World Series Ring in his brief run with the Red Sox in 2018.

Ian Desmond played his first seven years in the Majors with the Washington Nationals, where the infielder would have his best success in Baseball.

Desmond's run in Washington included three Silver Sluggers, three 20-plus Home Runs years, and an All-Star campaign in 2012.  The Shortstop signed with Texas in 2016, where he was an All-Star for the second time, and afterward, he concluded his career with the Colorado Rockies for three more years.

Desmond would have 181 Home Runs and 1,432 Hits over his career. 

Hanley Ramirez won the National League Rookie of the Year in 2006 when he was with the Florida Marlins, and for the rest of the decade, he was one of the top Shortstops in the NL.

Ramirez had at least 100 Runs as a rookie, and he hit that mark in his first four years, including leading the league with 125 in 2008.  An All-Star three years in a row from 2008 to 2010, Ramirez won the Batting Title in 2009 (.342), the third of four consecutive .300 seasons.  Ramirez was the runner-up to Albert Pujols for the MVP that year, and he also won his second Silver Slugger.

Keeping with the tradition of Marlins history, Ramirez was traded when it became clear they could no longer afford him, and the Infielder would land in L.A. with the Dodgers.  He did not produce the same numbers but still could go yard and drive in runs, as shown by his 30 Home Run year in 2016.

Ramirez retired with 1,834 Hits, a .289 Batting Average, and 271 Home Runs.