If Ichiro had played in the MLB from 1994-2000, his projected stats in those years show 4,015 at-bats and 1,313 hits. 🤯😲😱📈⚾️

How would this reshape his legacy? 🤔🏆1⃣

Ichiro Suzuki's MLB career is remarkable in its own right. Starting at the age of 27, he played until he was 45, earning a place in the prestigious 3,000-hit club and finishing with a lifetime batting average of .311. 

Ichiro was truly a one-of-a-kind talent, and we were fortunate to witness his exceptional abilities and remarkable consistency on the field.

The moment of truth has arrived, and the long-awaited answer to the age-old question is now revealed!

In our previous post, we outlined the steps and calculations used to project Ichiro’s career statistics. 

Based on these projections, Ichiro would have recorded approximately 4,015 at-bats between 1994 and 2000, accumulating an estimated 1,313 hits. 

It is important to note that the 1994 strike, which reduced the Mariners' season to 112 games, thus reducing Ichiro's potential numbers even further.

Ichiro’s actual MLB career (2001-2019) saw him go up to bat 9,934 times and record 3,089 hits. Combining his projected and actual statistics, Ichiro would have finished with around 13,949 at-bats and 4,402 hits—making him the MLB’s all-time hits leader!

As of today, Ichiro Suzuki ranks 25th on Major League Baseball's all-time hits list. 

Based on our projections, he would rise to the number one spot, surpassing Pete Rose by 142 hits!

In this scenario, Ichiro would find himself at the top of a distinguished list, ahead of the greatest players in baseball history, including:

Pete Rose, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Tris Speaker, Derek Jeter, Cap Anson, Honus Wagner, Carl Yastrzemski, Albert Pujols, Paul Molitor, Eddie Collins, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Nap Lajoie, Cal Ripken Jr., Miguel Cabrera, Adrian Beltré, George Brett, Paul Waner, Robin Yount, Tony Gwynn, Alex Rodriguez, and Dave Winfield.

While there is no disputing Ichiro's status as the true hit king of baseball, several questions remain unanswered:

- How would this achievement have altered Ichiro’s legacy?
- Would this have accelerated Japan’s prominence as a talent pipeline to the majors?
- Would he already be a Hall of Famer?
- Would Japanese baseball be more respected by MLB fans?

Thank you for reading, this was quite fun to research!

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