CC Sabathia was an ace. You know who screamed this fact loudest? Not me. The sport did. The sport told us what the final numbers didn’t.

Chase Utley and Ian Kinsler had virtually identical careers from a stats and awards perspective, but their Hall of Fame cases vary widely.

Chase Utley was one of the biggest risers in this year’s Hall of Fame voting. Is he trending toward eventual enshrinement?

The trio of stars, each of whom spent part of their career in New York, will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 27.

Tuesday is one of the holy days on the baseball calendar, the announcement of players voted into the Hall of Fame. The honor is extreme and well-earned, with just over 1% of all big leaguers making it to Cooperstown for what they did as players: 275 out of 23,370.

Suzuki's close call means New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera remains the only unanimous electee. Rivera received all 425 votes in 2019. Another longtime Yankees icon, shortstop Derek Jeter, came within one vote of unanimous election in 2020. Suzuki, Rivera and Jeter were teammates with New York from 2012-13.

A leadoff hitter, an ace starter and a lockdown closer walk into a Hall … It’s no joke. The National Baseball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 is complete after Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner

Ichiro Suzuki 393 (99.7), CC Sabathia 342, (86.8), Billy Wagner 325 (82.5), Carlos Beltran 277, (70.3) , Andruw Jones 261 (66.2), Chase Utley 157 (39.8), Alex Rodríguez 146 (37.1) , Manny Ramirez ...

PLAYER VOTES PCT. (%) Ichiro Suzuki 393 99.7 CC Sabathia 342 86.8 Billy Wagner 325 82.5 Carlos Beltrán 277 70.3 Andruw Jones 261 66.2 Chase Utley 157 39.8 Álex Rodríguez 146 37.1 Manny Ramírez ...

There was no doubt about Ichiro and little doubt about CC Sabathia, but one-time Phillies ... but are trending toward election. So is Chase Utley, one of the biggest risers in the field.

Ichiro falls a vote short of being the second unanimous choice ever. CC makes it in his first year of eligibility, Wagner in his last. The recent ballot glut has cleared.

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected Tuesday along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner.