2024 Topps RIPPED Unwrapped

How to Collect: Ichiro Suzuki’s Top Rookie Cards

Celebrate Ichiro’s Top Cards

Date: Jan 10, 2025
Topics: Baseball, Cards and Culture, How to Collect, MLB, NPB, Rookie Cards
Length: 602 Words
Reading Time: ~4 Minutes

Ichiro Suzuki’s journey in baseball is one of unparalleled excellence, and his trading cards reflect that brilliance. From his rookie year, which set the tone for a Hall of Fame career, to cards highlighting his record-breaking achievements, Ichiro’s cardboard legacy is as expansive as his impact on the game. Let’s dive into his most collectible rookie cards and the other must-haves that celebrate his iconic career


Top Ichiro Cards


2001 Topps Gallery Baseball Japanese #151 Ichiro Suzuki RC

Player info

• 2001 al rookie of the year
• 2001 al mvp
• 10-time all-star

Set info

• 151-card set
• the 2001 topps Gallery #151 Ichiro Suzuki has a version in english as well
• all cards from this set are painted

what they’ve said

• “The first year that I played with him, he rode his bike to the games. I don’t think he was old enough to drive, and if he was, I don’t think he owned a car. So he would ride his bike.” – former teammate kelvin torve

2001 Bowman’s Best Baseball #162 Ichiro Suzuki RC /2999

Player info

• 2001 al stolen base leader
• two-time al batting champion
• 10-time gold glove award winner

Set info

• 200-card set
• last 50 cards are all rookies numbered to 2,999

what they’ve said

• “I was kind of influenced by the hip-hop culture. I went to the [Japanese League] All-Star Game [in 1994] in shorts — baggy shorts — and an Oakland Athletics jersey. I walked in and one of the older players actually got mad at me and said, ‘You can’t dress like that.’ Some didn’t mind it, though.” – ichiro suzuki

2001 Topps Chrome® Traded Baseball #T266 Ichiro Suzuki RC

Player info

• seattle mariners hall of famer
• three-time silver slugger award winner
• set the mlb record for most hits in a season

set info

• 266 cards in 2001 topps traded and each has a chrome parallel
• two chrome traded cards in each 10-pack of topps traded

what they’ve said

• There was no answer for his skillset. He was just special, like real special. When I watched him play, I just say he’s like a dancing ballerina mixed with a black cat, he just had this ability, man.” – former teammate mike cameron

2001 Bowman Heritage Baseball #352 Ichiro Suzuki RC

Player info

• played for four major league franchises
• made mlb debut at 27 years old
• first mlb player to enter the japanese baseball hall of fame

set info

• 440-card set
• Black and white design was inspired by 1948 bowman baseball

what they’ve said

• “When he was in his prime, he could do magic with a baseball bat. He mastered it.” – former mlb player elvis andrus

2001 Bowman Chrome® Japanese #351 Ichiro Suzuki RC

Player info

• member of the 3,000-hit club
• set the mlb record for most consecutive seasons with at least 200 hits
• his 4,367 career professional hits is the most at baseball’s top level

set info

• 352-card set
• half of the print run has an english version and the ohter half has the japanese version

what they’ve said

•  “I enjoyed throwing out players. And if they kept running, I would hit them in the back of the head with the ball.” – dick allen

Bonus: 1993 BBM #239 Ichiro Suzuki

Player info

• 7-time npb all-star
• three-time pacific league mvp
• 1996 japan series champion

Set info

• 498-card seet

what they’ve said

• “What he has done for this game, our country and the fans. Sure I wish we could have played against him but [it] wasn’t meant to be.” – dodgers superstar shohei ohtani


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