Another Yankees legend is making his debut on the Hall of Fame ballot, with Hideki Matsui marking his first appearance on the 2018 ballot released Monday afternoon.
Matsui, who spent seven seasons of his 10-year career with the Yanks, joins Mike Mussina and Roger Clemens as players who spent a significant portion of their career in New York on the ballot. A player needs to be named on at least 75 percent of ballots cast to be elected. The Hall of Fame induction announcement will take place on Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network.
• Hall of Fame coverage
Matsui joined the Yankees before the start of the 2003 season, and he immediately made an impact, finishing second in the voting for the American League Rookie of the Year Award and making the All-Star team in '03 and '04. He became a staple in the middle of the order for New York during those years, when the team was a regular postseason contender. When the Yanks won the World Series in '09, Matsui was named the World Series Most Valuable Player. He was also a strong career postseason performer, with a .933 OPS and 10 home runs in the playoffs.
Matsui was also an international sensation back in Japan. Before joining the Yankees, he hit 332 home runs for the Yomirui Giants in his 10-year career there. They threw him a parade in Tokyo when he signed with the Yanks.
• 2018 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot
The late start to his career could impact Matsui's Hall of Fame chances, but in his 10 years in the Majors, he batted .282/.360/.462 and accumulated 21.3 Wins Above Replacement. He had an .822 OPS and 175 home runs.
Mussina has gained momentum in recent years on the ballot, appearing on 51.8 percent of the ballots cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America last year. It was the fourth year his voting percentage increased, as it went from 20.3 percent in 2014 to 24.6 percent in '15 and jumped to 43 percent in '16 before another significant improvement in '17. In his fifth year on the ballot, he figures to see another boost.

Clemens is making his sixth appearance on the ballot, although his case has stalled because of the allegations of performance-enhancing-drug use during his career. Clemens' numbers stack up among the greatest pitchers ever, but he appeared on just 54.1 percent of the ballots in 2017.