Ichiro - Most Underrated Player In MLB History

[Megatron]

Over the past 50 years of the MLB'ss history, the game has expanded to many parts of the country. Some of the most dominant players of the past 15 years haven't even been American. Sammy Sosa, Mariano Rivera, David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols. None of them is a full blown American. All are great players. However, there is one guy that I think continually been overlooked as one of the best players EVER in the history of baseball, especially after his first few years, that really does deserve some consideration as the best ever. And that man is...

Ichiro Suzuki

Yes, this man is quite underappreciated because he plays up in the northwest in Seattle, which gets about as little of attention as you can get. However, that doesn't change the fact that Ichiro has been THE best player of the entire decade, and is a top 5 foreign talent of all time, possibly the best. Look at what he's done, and this is only his 10th year in the MLB.

10x All Star (every year he's been eligible he's made it, more often then not as a starter)
9x Gold Glover (soon to be 10)
3x Silver Slugger
2001 MVP & ROTY
2x Batting Chamion
6x Hits Leader
Single Season Hits Leader
9x Seasons of .300 BA
9x Seasons of 200 or more hits

The fact is, Ichiro has brought the best combination of defense and hitting in his entire career, and he still has a few years left in the tank and will get to 3,000 hits, and is a future HOF. Ichiro clearly is underappreciated due to where he plays, but that doesn't change the fact that he is certainly a Top 5 Foreign Born Talent player, possibly even the best.

 

[The Crock]

You're damn right he is. Ichiro is, in my eyes, one of the best fielders in the game, he can hit, and HE IS the best foreign player ever. All his accolades can't even explain how valuable of an asset he is to any team he plays for. Without him the Mariners would win less than half of their games, he really wins most of their games for him.

His most impressive career feat is that he had 262 hits in one season. That is absolutely insane. He has the best eye out of any hitter that has played the game in the last 15 years. He is vastly underrated as a hitter, even though he had such an awesome season. Another thing that I think is amazing is the fact that his steal percentage is so good. I don't know the exact number, but it is very high.

Ichiro is a future Hall of Famer, and deserves every accolade he gets.

 

[The Brain]

I really don't think Ichiro is underrated. I'm not saying he isn't great because he obviously is. I just don't think he's underrated because everyone seems to acknowledge how great he is. He was being calle a future hall of famer after five years in the league. To be underrated your greatness has to go unrecognized. No one has ever denied Ichiro's greatness.

 

[Megatron]

His peers show him tons of respect, but when you get into the talks of best of all time, his name never gets brought up, which I think isn't right. The man hits and plays good defense. He's clearly the best Japanese talent ever, and if he would've started his career in the MLB right away it may be arguable that he could be on pace for Rose's hit record. It's not that people don't recognize his greatness, but since he's just always consistently putting up crazy numbers, he really should be recognized as one of the greatest ever.

 

[Stormtrooper]

I really don't think Ichiro is underrated. I'm not saying he isn't great because he obviously is. I just don't think he's underrated because everyone seems to acknowledge how great he is. He was being calle a future hall of famer after five years in the league. To be underrated your greatness has to go unrecognized. No one has ever denied Ichiro's greatness.

The Brain in 100% right. Ichiro is one of the best players of this era, and is regarded as such. Therefore, it's pretty God damn impossible for him to be considered overrated.

His peers show him tons of respect, but when you get into the talks of best of all time, his name never gets brought up, which I think isn't right. The man hits and plays good defense. He's clearly the best Japanese talent ever, and if he would've started his career in the MLB right away it may be arguable that he could be on pace for Rose's hit record. It's not that people don't recognize his greatness, but since he's just always consistently putting up crazy numbers, he really should be recognized as one of the greatest ever.

Yes, he is the best Asian born player of all time. There is virtually no doubt about it. However, the bolded portion of your post is key. IF he would've started his career in MLB right away. The problem is he didn't, and we can't speculate either way what he would have done. Maybe he wouldn't blossom into the player he is now until his late 20's if he had played in America his entire career.

Honestly, he is the first player I've ever seen to have played half of his career in a foreign league and still get consideration for the Hall of Fame, and as Brain said, he's had that for a few years now. That could make him slightly OVERrated. Again, it's not because he's one of the greatest current players, but because at the end of the day, he's had a 10 year career and people like yourself try to make him out to be the greatest player of all the times. There have been guys who played almost twice as long, and been just as productive.

 

[Megatron]

The Brain in 100% right. Ichiro is one of the best players of this era, and is regarded as such. Therefore, it's pretty God damn impossible for him to be considered overrated.

But he doesn't get the constant attention of guys such as A-Rod, Hamilton, Ortiz, Pujols, Howard, and Mauer because he plays in Seattle. He's constantly underlooked when guys talk about the best hitters in the game because he's way up there in the northwest where the majority of people don't get to see him. He had a big splash his rookie year and the year he broke the hit record, but other then those years he's just been under the radar because of the poor teams he's been on, even though he's still one of the top leadoff hitters in the game.

Honestly, he is the first player I've ever seen to have played half of his career in a foreign league and still get consideration for the Hall of Fame, and as Brain said, he's had that for a few years now. That could make him slightly OVERrated. Again, it's not because he's one of the greatest current players, but because at the end of the day, he's had a 10 year career and people like yourself try to make him out to be the greatest player of all the times. There have been guys who played almost twice as long, and been just as productive.

In what way is Ichiro overrated? Because he's been consistently great for over a relatively short period of time, yet many people say he's a lock for HOF? And he's had one of the most prolific starts to an MLB career ever. He won ROTY and MVP in the same season. Only one other player has done that. Not Babe Ruth. Not Willie Mays. Not Ty Cobb. Not Pete Rose. That is ELITE company. And he's had 9 (soon to be 10) straight 200 hit seasons to start off his career. Only Pete Rose has as many hits. And Ichiro has a top 5 outfield arm ever. He always has pinpoint accuracy with his throws and they almost always beat the runner. And he had the most hits ever in a 3 year span.

Also, if you include his Japanese stats, while the MLB doesn't, he was the quickest player ever to get to 3,000 hits. He's been the 2nd fastest ever to reach 2000, and he'll undoubtedly reach 3,000 within the next 4 years, assuming he doesn't retire. What he's done should place him as a top 5 hitter of all time, no doubt.

 

[gd]

Ya, he's not underrated. He's started in the All Star Game every year, right? Despite being a foreign born player in a shit market on a team that doesn't go to the playoffs, he's still one of the most popular and recognizable guys in the sport. Not underrated.

In other news, I have no doubt that he would've kicked ass had he come immeadiately into the majors and he is no doubt a going to be a Hall of Famers when it's all said and done.

 

[PsychoBlack]

With all of the awards you just listed he cant possibly be underated. He is not as well known by the non baseball fan as someone like A rod but thats simply because he does not speak english. Anybody who watches sportscenter every night knows who this guy is though.