While Ichiro Suzuki’s days as a hitter are over, he might need to consider a transition to pitching after an impressive showing in the Seattle Mariners’ intrasquad spring training game.
The 46-year-old and future Hall of Famer took the mound to face some of Seattle’s top prospects and more than held his own. Ichiro faced Jarred Kelenic, the Mariners’ No. 1 prospect and a top-15 MLB prospect, and quickly retired the 20-year-old outfielder on a ground ball.
After facing Kelenic, the Mariners sent Julio Rodriguez to the plate against Ichiro. The 19-year-old outfielder, Seattle’s No. 2 prospect, grounded into a double play almost immediately.
While Ichiro has retired and his playing days are seemingly behind him, he’s demonstrating some nice ability against players with very bright futures in MLB. It’s unlikely that we ever see Ichiro on the mound in an MLB game, but Seattle’s fans would certainly love to see it.