Seiya Suzuki picked up a place in MLB history on Wednesday, and he did it with a swing the Cubs needed.
The Chicago outfielder launched his 13th home run of the season against the San Diego Padres, and it was the 100th of his big league career. That puts Suzuki in a very small group: he became just the fourth Japanese-born player in major league history to reach 100 career home runs.
The Cubs announced it plainly: "Seiya Suzuki becomes the fourth Japanese-born player in major league history to hit 100 career home runs," the Cubs announced Wednesday.
Suzuki’s milestone comes in the middle of an uneven 2026 season for Chicago, one that had even sparked talk that the Cubs could end up as sellers at the trade deadline. Those rumors surfaced with Suzuki mentioned as a possible trade chip, though that outcome doesn’t appear likely.
Now he’s sharing space on a list filled with Japanese-born MLB stars. Shohei Ohtani sits at the top with 298 career home runs.
Hideki Matsui is next with 175, built over a 10-year MLB run that included two All-Star selections and a World Series MVP award with the New York Yankees in 2009. Ichiro Suzuki rounds out the group above 100, finishing with 117 homers in a Hall of Fame career.
That leaves Seiya Suzuki with a chance to keep climbing. Ichiro’s total is within reach if Suzuki keeps producing, and he’s still early in his run by career standards, reaching the mark halfway through his fifth MLB season.
There’s also another Japanese-born slugger who could join the club soon enough. Munetaka Murakami already has 20 home runs in 200 at-bats, and if he stays healthy and gets a few more seasons, he should get there shortly.
For now, though, Seiya Suzuki has his own place in the record book.
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