After multiple attempts to escape Cuba to play baseball in North America, Kendrys Morales was finally successful in late 2004.  The Los Angeles Angels signed Morales, and the switch hitter would debut for the team in 2006, though it was not until 2009 where he proved his worth as a bona fide Major League Player in a 34 Home Run and 108 RBI year.

2009 would be his best year, as he would struggle with injuries afterward, most notably, breaking his leg when he celebrated a home run by jumping up to stomp on home plate.  He missed the entirety of 2010 because of it, and it was the catalyst for the rest of his career.  Morales still managed to belt 213 Home Runs, and he would also play with Seattle, Minnesota, Kansas City, Toronto, Oakland, and New York (AL).  Notably, he had a very good year in 2015 with the Royals, helping them win the World Series while earning his only Silver Slugger and Edgar Martinez Award as the top Designated Hitter.

Jason Vargas can be best be described as a journeyman Starting Pitcher, completing his career with a .500 record (99-99) with stops in Florida, New York (NL), Seattle, Los Angeles (AL), Kansas City, and Philadelphia.

His best year was in 2017 when he was a surprise American League leader in Wins (18) as a Royal.  Vargas also was an All-Star that year.

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.