Former big leaguer Hideki Matsui, iron man Tomoaki Kanemoto and former Japan manager Hiroki Kokubo were placed on the 2018 ballot for the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.

Catcher Kenji Johjima, infielder Takuro Ishii and first baseman Alex Cabrera are the other three former players making their debut on the hall's player division ballot.

Matsui, who hit 507 home runs in a career spent mostly with the Yomiuri Giants and New York Yankees, and Kanemoto, who played in every inning of 1,492 consecutive games during his time with the Hiroshima Carp and Hanshin Tigers, are good bets to be voted into the hall on their first ballot.