History of Seiya Suzuki in Timeline
Seiya Suzuki is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder currently playing for the Chicago Cubs in MLB. Before joining the Cubs, he played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. During his time in NPB, Suzuki achieved significant recognition, including five NPB All-Star selections, six NPB Best Nine Awards, and five NPB Golden Glove Awards. He also represents Japan in international baseball competitions.
August 18, 1994: Seiya Suzuki Born
On August 18, 1994, Seiya Suzuki was born. He is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs.
October 1, 2019: Selected to the 2019 WBSC Premier12
On October 1, 2019, he was selected at the 2019 WBSC Premier12.
December 7, 2019: Married Airi Hatakeyama
On December 7, 2019, Suzuki married former Olympic rhythmic gymnast Airi Hatakeyama.
2019: Won 2019 NPB Home Run Derby
In 2019, On July 13, Suzuki won the 2019 NPB Home Run Derby, defeating Orix Buffaloes outfielder Masataka Yoshida 4-3 in the final round.
2019: Named for fourth consecutive NPB All-Star Series
In 2019, Suzuki was named for his fourth consecutive NPB All-Star Series after receiving the most votes among all Central League players.
2020: Awarded Central League Golden Glove and Best Nine Award
In the 2020 season, Suzuki was awarded his fourth career Central League Golden Glove Award and his fifth career Best Nine Award.
June 16, 2021: Selected to Team Japan for the 2020 Summer Olympics
On June 16, 2021, Suzuki was selected to Team Japan for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
November 22, 2021: Posted by Hiroshima and Made Available to MLB Teams
Following the 2021 season, on November 22, 2021, Suzuki was posted by Hiroshima and made available to all 30 Major League Baseball (MLB) teams to negotiate a contract.
2021: Suzuki played in 132 games for the Carp
In 2021, Suzuki played in 132 games for the Carp, setting a career-high in home runs, with 38, to go along with 88 RBI and a .317/.433/.636 slash line.
2021: Named NPB All-Star, Golden Glove and Best Nine Award
In 2021, Suzuki was named a NPB All-Star for the fifth time in his career. He was also awarded his fifth career Central League Golden Glove Award and sixth career Best Nine Award.
March 18, 2022: Agreed to a five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs
On March 18, 2022, Suzuki officially agreed to a five-year contract with the Chicago Cubs worth $85 million.
April 7, 2022: Made MLB debut for Cubs
On April 7, 2022, Suzuki made his Cubs debut, working a full-count walk against Corbin Burnes in his first MLB plate appearance and collected his first major league hit in the 5th inning of that game.
September 27, 2023: Missed a routine fly ball
On September 27, 2023, against the Atlanta Braves, Suzuki missed a routine fly ball off the bat of catcher Sean Murphy, allowing the tying and eventual winning runs to score.
April 15, 2024: Placed on injured list with oblique strain
On April 15, 2024, Suzuki was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain after tweaking his oblique running to first base against the Seattle Mariners.
August 24, 2024: Hit his 50th career home run
On August 24, 2024 against the Miami Marlins, Suzuki hit his 50th career home run as he went for 3-5 with 2 HR, a triple, 4 RBI, and 3 runs scored.
September 30, 2024: Hit 100th career hit
On September 30, 2024, Suzuki hit his 100th career hit, a single off Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft in the bottom of the third inning.
