is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

former

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

. He has played in

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB) for the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

and in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

and

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

. Igarashi began his career with the Yakult Swallows of NPB in 1999. For Yakult, he was a five-time All-Star. After the 2009 season, Igarashi signed with the New York Mets of MLB as a free agent and pitched for them in 2010 and 2011. He briefly pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees of MLB in 2012.

Career

Yakult Swallows/Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Igarashi was a second-round draft pick of the

Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Yom ...

in . He threw a 6-

inning In baseball, softball, and similar games, an inning is the basic unit of play, consisting of two halves or frames, the "top" (first half) and the "bottom" (second half). In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team ...

perfect game Perfect game may refer to: Sports * Perfect game (baseball), a complete-game win by a pitcher allowing no baserunners * Perfect game (bowling), a 300 game, 12 consecutive strikes in the same game * Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, New York ...

in '' ni-gun'' on September 26,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...

; the contest was cut short due to rain. Igarashi had a 6-4

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

with a save and a 4.91

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) in 36 games as a rookie in

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shootin ...

. He had won 11 games before the All-Star break his next season,

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

. He finished the year 11–4 with a save and a 3.11 ERA. He allowed only 42

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

in 75 1/3 innings pitched (IP) for a .160

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

against. He

struck out In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is denote ...

90 batters, but also walked 33. He was named to the

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consist ...

(CL) All-Star team for the first time. Igarashi suffered a couple of injuries in

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, going 2–3 with a 2.59 ERA. He allowed a .172 average and struck out 51 in 41 2/3 IP while walking 28. He pitched one game in the 2001 Japan Series, giving up three runs in one inning in Game Two, a loss to the

Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes The were a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team based in Osaka, Japan, which was in the Pacific League. In 2005 the team was merged with the Orix BlueWave to become the team now known as the Orix Buffaloes. The team played in Fujiidera Stadi ...

; Yakult won the Series, taking the other four contests. The right-hander made 64 appearances in

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

and was 8–2 with 4 saves and a 2.08 ERA. He held opponents to 49 hits in 78 innings and fanned 97. The lone negative was eight

wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third stri ...

es, leading the CL. He was again a CL All-Star while being used as a setup man for

Shingo Takatsu Shingo Takatsu (高津臣吾, ''Takatsu Shingo'') (born November 25, 1968) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher and manager. He had a short stint with the Chicago White Sox where he was the closer for two seasons until struggles closing ...

. The Hokkaido native was 5–5 with a 3.89 ERA in

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...

, whiffing 83 in 74 innings and being named an All-Star again. He pitched in 66 games, leading the CL. When Takatsu left for the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

, the 24-year-old was handed the Swallows' closer job. Igarashi went 5–3 with 37 saves and a 2.66 ERA in

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...

. He held opponents to a .210 average and struck out 86 in 74 1/3 IP. He led the CL in both saves and appearances (66). He made the All-Star team for the fourth time. He won the

Fireman of the Year The ''Sporting News'' Reliever of the Year Award was an annual award presented to the best relief pitcher in each league in Major League Baseball (MLB). It was established in by ''The Sporting News'' (TSN) as the Fireman of the Year Award. At th ...

Award, which Takatsu had taken three times. Along with

Hirotoshi Ishii Hirotoshi Ishii (石井弘寿, born September 14, 1977) is a Japanese baseball player. He currently plays as a relief pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He has repeatedly expressed a desire to play in the majors, and several teams have show ...

, he was known as one of the "Rocket Boys", noted for their

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. "Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thro ...

s in the mid-90s. On June 3, he threw a 158 km/h (98 mph) fastball, tying the

(NPB) record for fastest pitch ever (held by

Hideki Irabu was a Japanese professional baseball player of American and Japanese mixed ancestry. He played professionally in both Japan and the United States. Irabu played for the Lotte Orions / Chiba Lotte Marines and Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professiona ...

and Kazuo Yamaguchi); Igarashi would hit that figure several more times in his career. The record didn't even last a year as

Marc Kroon Marc Jason Kroon (born April 2, 1973) is an American former right-handed relief pitcher. He served as the closer for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Central League. Career He was drafted 72nd overall by the New York Mets in 1991. The Mets traded h ...

broke it in May 2005. He still holds the record for the fastest pitch in an All-Star game, at 157 km/h. Igarashi was injured early in

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...

and lost his closer job to Ishii. Returning to a setup role, he was 3–2 with 4 saves and a 3.49 ERA. He struck out 60 in 56 2/3 IP but walked 27 and allowed a .248 average. He made his fifth All-Star team. On April 6, he teamed with Shugo Fujii and Ishii to strike out 19 batters, a NPB record. Igarashi only made 29 appearances in

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

and struggled, with a 1–2 record, 6.12 ERA and one save. Opponents hit .324 against him. He had

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

after the season and missed all of

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...

. Igarashi returned to full form in

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, throwing between 92 and 95 mph often. He had a 3–2 record with three saves and a 2.47 ERA In 44 games, with a career-best 0.94

WHIP A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

. His strikeout rate was a bit off his peak, with 42 in 43 2/3 IP. The closer role had now gone to South Korean Chang-yong Lim. The veteran hurler was 3–2 with 3 saves and a 3.19 ERA in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

. He set a Yakult franchise record by not allowing a run in 21 consecutive games. Opponents hit .216 against him but he again failed to top a strikeout per inning, his old standard, as he fanned 44 in 53 2/3 IP. He tied for 10th in the CL in appearances. In 2008, Igarashi declined to file for domestic free agency, with the intention of becoming an international free agent in the 2009 off-season.

New York Mets

On December 16, 2009, Igarashi agreed to a two-year contract worth $3 million with the

. He was expected to become the

setup pitcher In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. As ...

for closer Francisco Rodríguez. He joined the Mets with

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...

pitcher

Hisanori Takahashi is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He began his professional career in NPB with the Yomiuri Giants, and played in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Cub ...

. Igarashi debuted for the 2010 New York Mets on April 8, relieving

Jonathon Niese Jonathon Joseph Niese (born October 27, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. Early life Niese was born to Jeffery and Annette Niese in ...

in the 7th inning against the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

. He began by walking

Cameron Maybin Cameron Keith Maybin (born April 4, 1987) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and current broadcaster. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Florida / Miami Marlins, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Brave ...

but got

Hanley Ramírez Hanley Ramírez (born December 23, 1983) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Florida / Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Indians. Ram� ...

to ground into a double play and then got

Jorge Cantú Jorge Luís Cantú Guzmán (born January 30, 1982) is an American-born Mexican professional baseball infielder for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Cincin ...

on a pop fly. Fellow Japanese rookie Takahashi replaced him in the 8th inning. Igarashi allowed only one run in his first seven MLB appearances, but he was placed on the disabled list on April 21, 2010 after suffering a hamstring injury. He was replaced on the roster by

Manny Acosta Manuel Alcides Acosta Molinar (born May 1, 1981) is a Panamanian professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, and for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Profess ...

. Igarashi returned replacing Acosta on the active roster. Igarashi was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

after the 2010 season. However, he would return to the Mets for the 2011 season. He was released on October 20, after he and the Mets failed to agree to a new contract, as a clause in his contract kept him under team control even after it expired, unless the Mets granted him his release. After the season, Igarashi pitched in the

Dominican Winter League Dominican may refer to: * Someone or something from or related to the Dominican Republic ( , stress on the "mi"), on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles, in the Caribbean ** People of the Dominican Republic ** Demographics of the Domi ...

with the

Leones del Escogido Leones del Escogido (English: ''Chosen One Lions'' or ''Lions of Chosen One'' or ''Picked Lions'') is a professional baseball team in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Established in , Leones are the third most successful team in the Dominican Wi ...

Pittsburgh Pirates

He was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates to a minor league contract with an invitation to 2012

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

on December 14, 2011. After being cut from Major League spring training on March 29, 2012, Igarashi said through Erwin Valencia, the Pirates Physical Therapist and Rehab Coordinator, " was shocked about the news", and " did everything could have done up to this point."

Toronto Blue Jays

On March 30, 2012, the

acquired Igarashi from the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

for a player to be named later or cash. He was assigned to the Las Vegas 51s of the PCL. The Blue Jays promoted Igarashi to MLB on May 25. He was designated for assignment 2 days later. Igarashi was 0–0 with a 36.00 ERA in 2 games.

New York Yankees

Igarashi was claimed by the

from the

on May 29, 2012. The Yankees promoted Igarashi on June 6, when they placed

Freddy García Freddy Antonio García (born October 6, 1976), is a former Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher. He is best known for his many seasons with seven Major League Baseball (MLB) franchises, including the Seattle Mariners, Chicago White Sox, and ...

on the bereavement list. He was then optioned back down to Triple-A on June 10 after Garcia was reactivated. Igarashi was recalled on August 12 when

CC Sabathia Carsten Charles Sabathia Jr. (born July 21, 1980) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the New York Yankees. He also played for the Cleveland Indians and Milwauke ...

was placed on the disabled list. Igarashi was optioned back to Triple-A on August 13 when Derek Lowe was signed. On August 16, he was outrighted to the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

. In October 2012, Igarashi elected minor league free agency.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

On November 17, 2012, Igarashi signed a 3-year, ~$18 million deal with the

Second stint with the Swallows

In 2019, he re-joined the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. On October 15, 2020, Igarashi held press conference and announced his retirement after the season.

Playing style

Igarashi throws a

that is routinely in the mid-90s (mph), a

forkball The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-finger fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard, snapping the wrist. The forkball differs from the split-fingered fastball, however, in tha ...

, and a

split-finger fastball A split-finger fastball or splitter is an off-speed pitch in baseball that looks to the batter like a fastball until it drops suddenly. Derived from the forkball, it is so named because the pitcher puts the index and middle finger on different ...

Personal

Igarashi has a wife, Orie, a daughter, Kotone, and a son, Haruki. Much of his family lives south of the location of the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minutes ...

References

External links

*
Player Profile: Ryota IgarashiJapaneseBallPlayers.com: Ryota Igarashi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Igarashi, Ryota 1979 births Living people Baseball people from Chiba Prefecture Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players Japanese expatriate baseball players in Canada Japanese expatriate baseball players in the United States Las Vegas 51s players Leones del Escogido players Japanese expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball players from Japan New York Mets players New York Yankees players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees players St. Lucie Mets players Tokyo Yakult Swallows players Toronto Blue Jays players Yakult Swallows players Tomateros de Culiacán players Japanese expatriate baseball players in Mexico