A total of 64 Japanese-born players have played in at least one

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) game. Of these players, five are currently on MLB rosters. The first instance of a Japanese player playing in MLB occurred in 1964, when the

Nankai 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. ...

, a

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) team, sent three exchange prospects to the United States to gain experience in MLB's minor league system. One of the players,

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 ...

Masanori Murakami Masanori "Mashi" Murakami (村上雅則, ''Murakami Masanori'', born May 6, 1944) is a retired Japanese baseball player. He is notable for being the first Japanese player to play for a Major League Baseball team. Sent over to the United States ...

, was named the

California League The California League is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in California. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following Major Leag ...

Rookie of the Year while playing for the

Fresno Giants The Fresno Giants were a minor league baseball team that played in the California League from 1941 to 1988. The team was based in Fresno, California. First teams The city of Fresno had professional baseball as far back as 1898 when it had a team ...

(the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

' Class-A team). Giants executives were impressed with his talent and on September 1, 1964 Murakami was promoted, thus becoming the first Japanese player to play in MLB, as well as being the first

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

player. After Murakami put up good

pitching statistics Pitch may refer to: Acoustic frequency * Pitch (music), the perceived frequency of sound including "definite pitch" and "indefinite pitch" ** Absolute pitch or "perfect pitch" ** Pitch class, a set of all pitches that are a whole number of octave ...

as a

reliever In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as inclement weather ...

, Giants executives sought to exercise a clause in their contract with the Hawks that, they claimed, allowed them to buy up an exchange prospect's contract. NPB officials objected, stating that they had no intention of selling Murakami's contract to the Giants and telling them that Murakami was merely on loan for the 1964 season. After a two-month stalemate the Giants eventually agreed to send Murakami back to the Hawks after the 1965 season. This affair led to the 1967 United States – Japanese Player Contract Agreement, also known as the "Working Agreement", between MLB and NPB, which was basically a hands-off policy. For thirty years Murakami was the only Japanese player to appear in an MLB game. Pitcher

Hideo Nomo is a Japanese former baseball pitcher who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He achieved early success in his native country, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to . He then exploited a l ...

, with the help of

agent Agent may refer to: Espionage, investigation, and law *, spies or intelligence officers * Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another ** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuranc ...

Don Nomura is a sports agent who primarily represents Japanese baseball players. Early life Nomura was born Donald Engel at St. Luke's International Hospital in Chūō, Tokyo, to a Japanese mother, Yoshie Itō and a Jewish American father, Alvin George En ...

, became the second Japanese player to play in MLB in 1995. Nomo, who was not yet eligible for

free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in Japan, was advised by Nomura that a "voluntary retirement" clause in the Working Agreement did not specify that a player wishing to play again after retiring must return to NPB. Nomo utilized this loophole to void his NPB contract with the

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 Stad ...

and play in MLB. He announced his retirement from NPB in late 1994 and signed with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

in February 1995. Nomo's maneuver and

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 ...

's later MLB contractual complications were contributing factors to a major revision of the Working Agreement in 1998 that created the current

posting system The is a baseball player transfer system that operates between Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Despite the drafting of the United States – Japanese Player Contract Agreement, unveiled in 1967 to regulate ...

. Since its inception 16 Japanese players have been signed through the system, however one of these players,

Shinji Mori Shinji Mori ( ja, 森慎二, September 12, 1974 – June 28, 2017) was a right-handed pitcher in professional baseball. Career From -, he played for the Seibu Lions in Nippon Professional Baseball. After the 2005 season, he was acquired by the ...

, did not play in a single MLB game due to an injury. NPB players who have nine or more years of playing service with NPB can become international free agents and do not need to enter MLB through the posting system. The remaining Japanese players that have played in MLB have either signed as free agents or signed as amateur players.

Mac Suzuki is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. Over his career, Suzuki played 18 seasons in professional baseball, including six in Major League Baseball and two in the Japan Pacific League. In his major league career, he has played for the ...

Kazuhito Tadano is a Japanese former baseball pitcher. He had previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians. He is currently the Pitching Coach for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters farm team in Nippon Professional Baseball's Eastern Lea ...

, and

Junichi Tazawa is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for ENEOS of the Japanese Industrial League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Angels. He also played in the Chinese Professional Baseba ...

are the only Japanese players to have debuted in MLB without previously playing in NPB. All 30 MLB teams have had at least one Japanese player on their roster. Japanese players have had a range of success in MLB. Twelve players have been selected to participate in the

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...

;

Ichiro Suzuki , also known mononymously as , is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder who played professionally for 28 seasons. He played nine years of his career with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), where he began his ...

has made the most appearances with ten. In addition to these selections, Ichiro has won several prestigious MLB awards including the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

(AL)

Rookie of the Year Award A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year). In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...

and the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 2001, the All-Star Game MVP Award in 2007 and multiple

Gold Glove The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

and

Silver Slugger Award The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball. These voters cons ...

s. Ichiro also holds the MLB record for the recording the most hits in a single season. Hideo Nomo was the only Japanese pitcher to throw a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

until Hisashi Iwakuma accomplished the feat on August 12, 2015. Nomo threw two in total; the first came in 1996 and the last occurred in 2001. Thirteen Japanese players have played in the

World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, contested since 1903 between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winner of the World ...

. Of these players,

So Taguchi is a Japanese former outfielder. After ten seasons with the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball, he played eight years in Major League Baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, followed by a final ...

has won the most with two and

Hideki Matsui , nicknamed "Godzilla", is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played baseball in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed. Matsui pl ...

is the only one to win the

World Series MVP Award The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the Major League Baseball p ...

. The

2007 World Series The 2007 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2007 season. The 103rd edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Colorado Rockies and the American Le ...

had the most Japanese players, with

Daisuke Matsuzaka is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, who pitched professionally for 23 seasons, 16 of them in NPB, 7 in MLB. He is currently a baseball color commentator, critic, reporter, and YouTuber. Daisuke is nicknamed in Japan and "Dice-K ...

and

Hideki Okajima is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. Okajima pitched for the Yomiuri Giants, Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, and Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball, and the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athle ...

pitching for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

, and

Kazuo Matsui is a Japanese retired professional baseball player who played as a shortstop and is the current manager of the Saitama Seibu Lions. He is a switch-hitter. Matsui signed with the New York Mets on December 17, 2003, becoming the first Japanese i ...

playing for the

Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...

Table key

Current players

:* Games played through the

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

regular season.

Former players

Awards, records and notable accomplishments

Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame The Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame is an American museum and hall of fame for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball. It is located at T-Mobile Park in the SoDo district of downtown Seattle. Museum overview Seattle Mariners former chairman ...

, inducted on August 27, 2022.

Awards and accolades

* Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award:

, 2005;

Shohei Ohtani , nicknamed "Shotime", is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher, designated hitter and outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional B ...

, 2021 *

Most Valuable Player Award In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

: Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 AL; Shohei Ohtani, 2021 AL (''unanimous selection'') *

, 1995 NL;

Kazuhiro Sasaki Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki (佐々木主浩 ''Sasaki Kazuhiro'', born February 22, 1968) is a former Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. He played his entire NPB career with the Yokohama Taiyo W ...

, 2000 AL; Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 AL; Shohei Ohtani, 2018 AL *

World Series MVP The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the MLB postseason. The aw ...

, 2009 *

ALCS MVP The League Championship Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players deemed to have the most impact on their teams' performances in each of the two respective League Championship Series that ...

Koji Uehara is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He previously played for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), as well as the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (M ...

, 2013 * All-Star Game MVP: Ichiro Suzuki, 2007 *

Gold Glove Award The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as simply the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in bo ...

: Ichiro Suzuki, 10 times, 2001–2010 AL OF *

: Ichiro Suzuki, thrice, 2001, 2007, 2009 AL OF; Shohei Ohtani, 2021 AL DH *

Edgar Martínez Award The Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, commonly referred to as the Edgar Martínez Award and originally known as the Outstanding Designated Hitter Award, has been presented annually to the most outstanding designated hitter (DH) ...

: Shohei Ohtani, twice, 2021, 2022 *

All-MLB Team The All-MLB Team is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) honor given to the best players across both leagues at each position during the season. Selections to the first and second teams are determined by a fan vote and a panel consisting of media ...

Yu Darvish , more commonly known as Yu Darvish (ダルビッシュ有), is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Darvish has also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and ...

, First team SP 2020;

Kenta Maeda is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He won the 2010 E ...

, Second team SP 2020; Shohei Ohtani, First team DH/Second team SP 2021, First team SP/Second team DH 2022 * Player of the Month: Shohei Ohtani, twice, June, July 2021 AL; Ichiro Suzuki, August 2004 AL; Hideki Matsui, July 2007 AL; *

Pitcher of the Month In Major League Baseball (MLB), the Pitcher of the Month Award is given monthly during the regular season to two outstanding pitchers, one each in the National League (NL) and American League (AL). The NL began awarding the honor in , and the A ...

: Hideo Nomo, twice, June 1995, September 1996 NL;

, twice, May 1998, July 1999 AL; Yu Darvish, twice, July/August 2020, September 2022 NL;

Masahiro Tanaka is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). From 2007 through 2013, he played for the Eagles in NPB. Tanaka was posted by the Eagles after the 2013 season to be si ...

, May 2014 AL * Rookie of the Month: Ichiro Suzuki, 4 times, April, May, August, September 2001 AL; Shohei Ohtani, twice, April, September 2018 AL;

Kazuhisa Ishii Kazuhisa Ishii (石井一久 ''Ishii Kazuhisa'') (born September 9, 1973) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher and current manager and general manager for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He pl ...

, April 2002 NL; Hideki Matsui, June 2003 AL;

, April 2007 AL; Yu Darvish, April 2012 AL;

Seiya Suzuki is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Suzuki is a five-time NPB All-Star, six-time NPB Be ...

, April 2022 NL * Player of the Week: Ichiro Suzuki, 5 times, August 8, 2004, June 4, 2006, September 26, 2010, September 23, 2012 AL, August 7, 2016 NL; Hideo Nomo, 4 times, June 25, 1995, April 14, September 22, 1996 NL, April 8, 2001 AL; Hideki Matsui, 4 times, June 29, 2003, May 30, 2004, June 19, 2005, July 24, 2011 AL; Shohei Ohtani, 4 times, April 8, September 9, 2018, June 20, July 4, 2021 AL; Kazuhiro Sasaki, April 29, 2001 AL;

, May 20, 2007 AL;

Hisashi Iwakuma is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes from 2000 to 2004, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles from 2005 to 2011, and Yomiuri Giants in 2019, and all of ...

, August 16, 2015 AL; Seiya Suzuki, April 17, 2022 NL; Yu Darvish, September 18, 2022 NL * MLB Players Choice Player of the Year: Shohei Ohtani, 2021 * MLB Players Choice Outstanding Player: Ichiro Suzuki, 2004 AL; Shohei Ohtani, 2021 AL * MLB Players Choice Outstanding Rookie: Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 AL *

Associated Press Athlete of the Year The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP) in 1931. At a time when women in sports were not given the same recognition as men, the AP offered a male and a female athlete of the year award to ...

: Shohei Ohtani, 2021 *

Sporting News MLB Player of the Year Award The ''Sporting News'' Player of the Year Award is awarded annually by ''Sporting News'' to the most outstanding player in Major League Baseball. The honor was first given in 1936. History The ''Sporting News'' established in 1936 the Player of t ...

: Shohei Ohtani, 2021 * Sporting News Rookie Player of the Year Award: Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 AL * Sporting News Rookie Pitcher of the Year Award: Hideo Nomo, 1995 NL, Kazuhiro Sasaki, 2000 AL *

Sporting News Rookie of the Year Award The ''Sporting News'' Rookie of the Year Award is an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award established in 1946 by ''Sporting News''. For the first three years (1946–1948) and again in 1950, there was a single award. In 1949 and since 1951, ...

: Shohei Ohtani, 2018 AL *

Baseball America Major League Player of the Year The ''Baseball America'' Major League Player of the Year award is given each year by Baseball America#Major League Baseball awards, ''Baseball America'' to the best player—at any baseball positions, position—in Major League Baseball. (''Baseball ...

: Shohei Ohtani, 2021 *

Baseball America Rookie of the Year Award The ''Baseball America'' Rookie of the Year Award is an annual award granted by ''Baseball America'' to the best rookie in the major leagues. Awardees See also * *Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award (MLB; in each league) * "Esurance MLB Aw ...

: Hideo Nomo, 1995; Shohei Ohtani, 2018 * Baseball America All-Rookie Team: Yu Darvish, 2012 SP; Masahiro Tanaka, 2014 SP; Kenta Maeda, 2016 SP; Shohei Ohtani, 2018 DH * Baseball Digest Player of the Year: Shohei Ohtani, 2021 *

Statcast Statcast is a high-speed, high-accuracy, automated tool developed to analyze player movements and athletic abilities in Major League Baseball (MLB). Statcast was introduced to all thirty MLB stadiums in 2015, a year now considered the beginning ...

Player of the Year: Shohei Ohtani, 2021 *

MLB.com MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. (a subsidiary of MLB). MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports column ...

Defensive Player of the Year Award: Ichiro Suzuki, 2005 *MLB.com Setup Man of the Year Award: Hideki Okajima, 2007 *

Best Male Athlete ESPY Award The Best Male Athlete ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Outstanding Male Athlete ESPY Award, is an annual award honoring the achievements of individual men from the world of sports. It has been presented annually at the ESPY Awards (Excellenc ...

: Shohei Ohtani, 2022 *

Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award The Best Major League Baseball Player ESPY Award, known alternatively as the Best Baseball Player ESPY Award, has been presented annually since 1993 to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year, typical ...

: Shohei Ohtani, twice, 2021, 2022 *

United States Sports Academy The United States Sports Academy is a private university focused on sports and located in Daphne, Alabama. It offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs as well as certificate programs. Founded in 1972, the academy has provided its ...

Athlete of the Month: Shohei Ohtani, June 2021 *

Time 100 ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, po ...

: Shohei Ohtani, 2021

Hitting

* Most hits in a single season:

, 262 (2004) ''MLB Record'' * Most career

interleague Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. Pri ...

hits: Ichiro Suzuki, 367 ''MLB Record'' * Most consecutive seasons of 200 or more hits: Ichiro Suzuki, 10 (2001–2010) ''MLB Record'' * Most seasons with 200 or more hits: Ichiro Suzuki, 10 (2001–2010) ''MLB Record (tie)'' * Most games with five or more hits in a season: Ichiro Suzuki, 4 (2004) ''MLB Record (tie)'' * Most pinch-hit plate appearances in a season: Ichiro Suzuki, 109 (2017) ''MLB Record'' * Most pinch-hit at-bats in a season: Ichiro Suzuki, 100 (2017) ''MLB Record'' *

Batting titles In baseball, batting average (BA) is determined by dividing a player's hits by their total at-bats. It is usually rounded to three decimal places and read without the decimal: A player with a batting average of .300 is "batting three-hundred". ...

: Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 (.350 Avg) and 2004 (.372 Avg) *Only

inside-the-park home run In baseball, an inside-the-park home run is a play where a batter hits a home run without hitting the ball out of the field of play. It is also known as an "inside-the-parker", "in-the-park home run", or "in-the-park homer". Discussion To score a ...

in All-Star game history: Ichiro Suzuki, July 10, 2007,

AT&T Park Oracle Park is a Major League Baseball stadium in the SoMa neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Since 2000, it has been the home of the San Francisco Giants. Previously named Pacific Bell Park, SBC Park, and AT&T Park, the stadium's curren ...

, hitting leadoff for the

*Only MLB player to hit a home run in his first

plate appearance In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance (denoted by PA) each time he completes a turn batting. Under Rule 5.04(c) of the Official Baseball Rules, a player completes a turn batting when he is put out or becomes a runner ...

of his first three seasons:

, 2004 (First pitch), 2005, 2006 (Inside-the-park home run) *First Japanese player to play in the

Tsuyoshi Shinjo , also known as , is a former Japanese professional baseball outfielder and current manager for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Born on January 28, 1972, Shinjo is the second Japanese-born position player ...

, October 19, 2002, Giants vs. Angels, Edison Field, hitting 9th in the lineup as the

Designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. The position is authorized by Major League Baseball Rule 5.11. It was adopted by the American League in 1973 and later by th ...

*First Japanese player to hit a home run:

, April 28, 1998, Dodgers vs. Brewers,

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...

*First Japanese player to hit a

grand slam Grand Slam most often refers to: * Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to: Games and sports * Grand slam, winning category te ...

: Tsuyoshi Shinjo, May 17, 2002, Giants vs. Marlins, AT&T Park *First Japanese player to hit a

walk-off hit Walk-off may refer to: *an event in a sporting event where the game-winning score immediately ends the game, such as a walk-off home run in baseball, a touchdown or field goal that's scored when there's no time left on the clock or during the overt ...

: Tsuyoshi Shinjo, May 20, 2001, Mets vs. Dodgers,

Shea Stadium Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning of the game and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not ...

, July 17, 2003, Yankees vs. Indians,

Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...

*First Japanese player to hit a home run in the postseason: Hideki Matsui, October 4, 2003, Yankees vs. Twins,

Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (commonly called the Metrodome) was a domed sports stadium located in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened in 1982 as a replacement for Metropolitan Stadium, the former home of the National Football League' ...

*First Japanese player to hit a home run in the World Series: Hideki Matsui, October 19, 2003, Yankees vs. Marlins, Yankee Stadium *First Japanese player to

hit for the cycle In baseball, hitting for the cycle is the accomplishment of one batter who hits a single, a double, a triple, and a home run in the same game. Collecting the hits in that order is known as a "natural cycle". Cycles are rare in Major League Ba ...

: Shohei Ohtani, June 13, 2019, Angels vs. Rays,

Tropicana Field Tropicana Field (commonly known as the Trop) is a Multi-purpose stadium, multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The stadium has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the ...

(

Home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

(1st),

Double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

(3rd),

Triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

(5th),

Single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

(7th)) *

3,000 hit club The 3,000 hit club is the group of 33 Batter (baseball), batters who have collected 3,000 or more regular-season Hit (baseball), hits in their careers in Major League Baseball (MLB), achieving a milestone "long considered the greatest measure of s ...

: Ichiro Suzuki; entered August 7, 2016 *Most walks in a 3-game span: Shohei Ohtani, September 22 - 24, 2021 (11) ''AL Record, MLB Record (tie)'' *Fastest exit velocity by a left-handed hitter: Shohei Ohtani, 119.1mph. April 10, 2022, Angels vs. Astros, Angel Stadium. Bottom of 3rd, 7th pitch off

José Urquidy José Luis Hernández Urquidy (born May 1, 1995) is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Urquidy signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2015 under the name of José Lu ...

(

Ground rule double A ground rule double is a baseball rule that awards two bases from the time of pitch to all baserunners including the batter-runner, as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the ground ...

)

Baserunning

* Stolen base champion: Ichiro Suzuki, 2001 AL (56 Stolen Bases) * Most consecutive stolen bases: Ichiro Suzuki, April 29, 2006 – May 16, 2007 (45) ''AL Record''

Pitching

No-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

(

): September 17, 1996, vs.

Coors Field Coors Field is a baseball stadium in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. Opened in 1995, the park is located in Denver's Lower Downtown neighborhood, two blocks from Union Station. The sta ...

(110P, 8K, 4BB, 30BF) ***Still the only no-hitter at Coors Field, which opened in 1995. It was accomplished before the

humidor A humidor is a humidity-controlled box or room used primarily for storing cigars, cigarettes, cannabis, or pipe tobacco. Either too much or too little humidity can be harmful to tobacco products; a humidor's primary function is to maintain a ste ...

was installed at Coors Field in 2002. Highest paid attendance (50,066) among all the no-hitters in currently used ballparks. **Hideo Nomo (

): April 4, 2001, vs.

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

Oriole Park at Camden Yards The Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a baseball stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home field of Major League Baseball's Baltimore Orioles, and the first of the Baseball park#Retro-classic ballparks, "retro" major league ballparks ...

(110P, 11K, 3BB, 30BF) ***Still the only no-hitter at Oriole Park, which opened in 1992. Earliest no-hitter in a season among all the no-hitters in currently used ballparks. Nomo is one of only five players that have ever pitched at least one no-hitter game in both the National League and American League in Major League Baseball history. **

(

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

): August 12, 2015, vs. Baltimore Orioles at

Safeco Field T-Mobile Park is a retractable roof stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners and has a seating capacity of 47,929. It is in Seattle's SoDo neighborhood, near the western t ...

(116P, 7K, 3BB, 29BF) ***Fourth no-hitter at Safeco Field, behind

Philip Humber Philip Gregory Humber (; born December 21, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and Houston Astros in seven seasons in Major League ...

Kevin Millwood Kevin Austin Millwood (born December 24, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Colo ...

, and

Félix Hernández Félix Abraham Hernández García (born April 8, 1986), nicknamed "King Félix", is a Venezuelan former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners from 2005 through 2019. On August 15, 2 ...

. * Maddux **

Tomo Ohka (born March 18, 1976) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox (–), Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals (2001–), Milwaukee Brewers (2005–), Toronto Blue Jays (), Cleveland Indians ...

(

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

): June 14, 2005, vs.

Tampa Bay Devil Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home venu ...

(98P, 9H, 6K, 0BB, 36BF) **

Hiroki Kuroda is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for Hiroshima Toyo Carp from 1997 to 2007 before playing in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008 to 2011 and ...

(Los Angeles Dodgers): July 7, 2008, vs.

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

(91P, 1H, 6K, 0BB, 28BF) **

(

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 ...

): April 27, 2017, vs.

Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...

(97P, 3H, 3K, 0BB, 29BF) **

Yusei Kikuchi is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Seattle Mariners in MLB and for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Amateur career As ...

(

): August 18, 2019, vs.

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 ...

Rogers Centre Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome) is a multi-purpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands, it ...

(96P, 2H, 8K, 1BB, 29BF) * Strikeout champion: Hideo Nomo, 1995 NL (236 Strikeouts) & 2001 AL (220 Strikeouts); Yu Darvish, 2013 AL (277 Strikeouts, led both leagues) *Fastest to reach 1,500 career strikeouts in MLB history: Yu Darvish, June 21, 2021 (1,216 1/3 innings, 197 games) *Fastest to reach 1,000 career strikeouts in MLB history: Yu Darvish, September 8, 2017 (812 innings, 128 games) *Most consecutive

quality start In baseball, a quality start is a statistic for a starting pitcher defined as a game in which the pitcher completes at least six innings and permits no more than three earned runs. The quality start has effectively replaced the 'complete game' a ...

s from debut: Masahiro Tanaka (16) ''MLB Record (tie)'' *Lowest single-season

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 ...

in MLB history (at least 50 innings): Koji Uehara, 2013 (0.565) *Most saves in the postseason: Koji Uehara, 2013 (7 saves) ''MLB Record (tie)'' *Most strikeouts in a single inning: Kazuhiro Sasaki, April 4, 2003 (4 strikeouts in the 9th Inning) ''MLB Record (tie)'' *Most consecutive starts with 8+ strikeouts and 0 walks: Yu Darvish (5), July 22 - August 26, 2019 ''MLB Record'' *Most consecutive

no decision A no decision (sometimes written no-decision) is one of either of two sports statistics scenarios; one in baseball and softball, and the other in boxing and related combat sports. Baseball and softball A starting pitcher who leaves a game withou ...

s: Yu Darvish (10), May 4 - June 21, 2019 ''MLB Record (tie)'' *First Japanese pitcher to be recorded with a win in an

: Masahiro Tanaka, AL 2019 *First Japanese pitcher to be recorded with a save in an All-Star Game: Kazuhiro Sasaki, AL 2001 *First pitcher to allow 2 or fewer runs in each of his first 7 postseason starts: Masahiro Tanaka *Fastest pitch recorded by a Japanese pitcher: Shohei Ohtani, 101.4mph: September 10, 2022,

Angels In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

vs.

Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division, having moved to the div ...

Minute Maid Park Minute Maid Park is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 as the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. It has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 ...

. Bottom of 3rd, pitching to

Kyle Tucker Kyle Daniel Tucker (born January 17, 1997) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). The Astros selected Tucker with the fifth pick in the first round of the 2015 MLB draft, and he ...

All-Star Game selections

:Bold indicates the player was selected to the starting roster

World Series appearances

:Bold indicates that the team won the World Series that year

Notes

;General * ;Inline citations

References

* Rains, Rob. ''Baseball Samurais: Ichiro Suzuki and the Asian Invasion''. New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2001. . * {{Baseball players

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Baseball players