Although baseball is known as America’s National Pasttime, it has also gained massive popularity in other countries, including Japan, where baseball is the most popular spectator sport. It was introduced to the country back in the 1870’s by educator Horace Wilson, who was hired by the Japanese government to assist in the modernization of the Japanese Education System. He thought the students could use more physical exercise and taught them the sport of baseball. They loved it and by the 1920’s, professional baseball was established in Japan. When America sent some of their superstars like Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig to Japan to play in an exhibition game against the Japanese All-Star Team, the sport took off to the heights and eventually, the Nippon Professional Baseball League was formed, which continues to produce amazing players today – players that are so talented, that Major League Baseball teams often tap into that talent by bringing players to the west to play in the big leagues. Just this season, Masataka Yoshida was one of the best rookies in the game, hitting .286 with 15 homers for Boston. The first Japanese player to ever don a big league uniform was Masanori Murakami, who made his debut in 1964 for the San Francisco Giants. Murakami did not have overpowering stuff but kept hitters off-balance by returning the next pitch almost immediately after receiving the ball back from the catcher. In two big league seasons, he went 5–1 with 9 saves and a respectable 3.43 ERA in 54 appearances. So far, at least 67 players have come over from Japan to play in the Major Leagues and while not all are great, some went on to have extremely successful big league careers and at least a couple are destined for a future in Cooperstown. Today, we’ll be ranking the Top 10 Japanese players – who were also Japanese born and raised - to ever play Major League Baseball.

10. Kenta Maeda

To start off today’s list, we have an active player who could definitely end up much higher when all is said and done. Kenta Maeda was one of the best pitchers in Japan back in 2010 when he went 15-8 with a 2.21 ERA, becoming the youngest pitcher in Japanese Baseball history to win the pitching Triple Crown. He took home the Sawamura Award as the league’s best pitcher that season then won it again in 2015. In January of 2016, Maeda signed an 8-year $25 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and made his big league debut on April 6th, 2016, throwing 6 shutout innings and picking up the win. Not only that, he also went deep, hitting a home run in his second big league at bat. He ended up going 16-11 that season with a 3.48 ERA, finishing 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting. He was a solid arm for LA for 4 years, going 47-35 before being traded to the Twins, where he dominated in the Covid-shorted 2020 season, going 6-1 with a 2.7 ERA and 10.8 strikeout per 9 ratio, finishing 2nd in the Cy Young Voting. Since then, some injury issues and Tommy John surgery have slowed him down but Maeda has had an impressive 7-year big league career and should be a valuable free agent during the upcoming off-season.

9. Hisashi Iwakuma

Starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma started his pro career in 2000 with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. By 2002, he was a regular in the starting rotation and had his breakout year in 2003, going 15-10 with a 3.45 ERA, leading the league with 11 complete games. In 2004, he broke a record by starting the season with 12 straight wins. He started the NPB All Star Game and represented Japan in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He had his best season in Japan in 2008 when he went 21-4 with a 1.87 ERA, grabbing the attention of several MLB teams, including the Seattle Mariners, who signed him prior to the 2012 season. He started his debut MLB season as a reliever but was quickly added to the rotation and in 2013, he went 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA, He made the All Star team and finished 3rd in the Cy Young Voting. He continued to be a solid rotation arm for the next 3 seasons and in 2015 became the second Japanese pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the big leagues. In 2017, a shoulder injury limited him to just 6 starts and he returned to Japan the following season. His overall numbers are still impressive – a 63-39 record with a 3.42 ERA.

8. Masahiro Tanaka

Tanaka was Japanese High School phenom in the mid-2000s, striking out a national High School record of 423 batters. He made his professional debut in 2007 with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and tied a record for the fastest NPB pitcher to reach 100 career strikeouts based on innings pitched. On the season, he struck out 9.5 batters per 9 innings and threw 4 complete games including a shutout. By 2013, he was the best pitcher in Japan and had an utterly dominant season, going 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA. He was heavily scouted by MLB teams and several were in the running to land Tanaka during the 2013-14 offseason. The lucky team ended up being the New York Yankees, who signed Tanaka to a 7-year $155 million deal. He made the All Star Team in his first big league season and went 13-5 with a 2.77 ERA, throwing a complete game shutout against the crosstown rival Mets. He continued to be a solid arm in the rotation, often serving as the team’s ace. Although he had some injury issues and was never as dominant as he was in Japan, Tanaka ended up going 78-46 with a 3.74 ERA. He was also largely dominant in the postseason, although the Yankees never won a championship during his time in New York. He returned to Japan after the 2020 season, but had a great 7-year MLB career as New York Yankee.

7. Hiroki Kuroda

Kuroda’s pro career goes back to 1996 when he joined to Hiroshima Toyo Carp as a 2nd round draft pick. His status with the team improved with each year until he became the Opening Day Starter in 2003. In 2006, he went 13-6 with a 1.85 ERA and showed interest in pitching for an MLB team. He stayed with the Carp for 2007 but after the season announced his intention to move to the states and he signed a 3-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He threw 7 strong in his first start against the Padres, allowing just 1 run and picking up the win. From there, he became a model of consistency, never completely dominating but consistently giving the Dodgers quality starts. He was named the Opening Day starter in 2009 but battled injuries throughout the year including a line drive off the side of his head. In free agency, he signed with the Yankees and went 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA and 2 shutouts in 2012. In 2013, he led the league with a 2.63 ERA at the All-Star break but was snubbed for the All Star Team. He was a pitcher who, through his career, even while in Japan, was known for getting poor run support. Largely for this

reason, his final MLB record was 79-79 but he had a solid 3.45 ERA and never had a season with an ERA above 3.76. He was one of the most consistent MLB starters in the game throughout his 7-year big league career.

6. Koji Uehara

Coming in at #6 is Koji Uehara, one of the greatest strike throwers in the history of MLB. He was originally drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in 1998 and won 15 consecutive games in his 1999, breaking a rookie record. In 2002, he got his first chance to face Major Leaguers in the Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series and struck out Barry Bonds three straight times. He showed interest in coming to pitch in America and in January of 2009, at the age of 34, Uehara signed a 2-year deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He threw 5 strong in his debut, picking up a win against the Rangers. He only started 12 games that season, going 2-4 with a 4.05 ERA but then moved to the bullpen in 2010 and had a great season with a 2.86 ERA with 55 strikeouts in 44 inning, walking a mere 5 batters. He became a premiere bullpen arm, dominating with the O’s in 2011, leading to a trade to the Rangers, who went on to win the AL Championship. In 2012, he had a 1.75 ERA and walked just 3 batters in 36 innings. His stuff was so dominant, the Boston Red Sox signed him to be their closer and in 2013, he was downright filthy with a 1.09 ERA, 101 strikeouts, 21 saves and a ridiculous 9 walks. He received MVP and Cy Young Votes. Uehara went on to win the ALCS MVP and closed out the final game of the World Series. His career 7.33 Strikeout per walk ratio is the best in Major League history for a pitcher with at least 100 innings pitched. In 2018, he returned to Japan, but his 9-year run in the big leagues was incredibly impressive and Uehara’s career MLB numbers include a 2.66 ERA, 572 strikeouts and just 78 walks.

5. Hideo Nomo

Moving into the top 5, we have the famous Hideo Nomo, who became the first Japanese-born player to play in the Majors since Murakami in 1965. His famous tornado delivery baffled hitters both in Japan and the United States. He pitched in the NPB for just 5 years for the Buffaloes, throwing 13 shutouts and completing most of his games, becoming a superstar in Japan. A contract dispute with the club led to Nomo’s retirement from the NPB and he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to play Major League Baseball. I remember watching his debut game live against the San Francisco Giants on May 2nd, 1995 when Nomo threw 5 scoreless innings, allowing just 1 hit. That game is memorable as it went 15 innings, with no runs being scored until the top of the 15th when the Dodgers scored 3 runs, but the Giants, with 2 outs and nobody on, made an improbable comeback win. Despite the Giants victory, Nomo was incredibly impressive and went on to lead the league with 236 strikeouts. He made the All Star Team and took home Rookie of the Year honors. Nomo became an instant sensation, leading to Nomomania, similar to Fernandomania of the early 80’s. In 1996, he shocked the baseball world by throwing a no-hitter at hitter-friendly Coors Field in Denver and to this day, he is the only pitcher to ever accomplish the feat. Unfortunately, Nomo had his struggles and was traded to the Mets then released in 1998 after a rough season. Then, with the Red Sox on April 4th, 2001, he suddenly found his stuff, throwing another no-hitter in his first start with Boston. It was the first no-no in the history of Camden Yards and the earliest on the calendar ever thrown. He returned to the Dodgers in 2002 and went 16-6 with a 3.39 ERA. In 2003, he had his last good season, with 16-13 record and 3.09 ERA. After that, injuries and under performance led to the end of his career after short stints with the Rays and Royals. While Nomo had an up-and-down career, he was a pioneer is coming over to the states and inspiring several other players on this list to do the same. He also had a great MLB career, with a 123-109 record and 4.24 ERA. He was elected to the Japanese Hall of Fame in 2014.

4. Hideki Matsui

In a list dominated by pitchers, we finally have a position player and it’s Hideki Matsui, AKA Godzilla, who from 1993 to 2002 was one of the biggest baseball superstars in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants. He hit at least 34 home runs per season for 7 straight years, maxing out at 50 in 2002. He was also an incredibly patient and natural hitter and his OPS was usually near if not over 1.000. The 9-time All Star and 3-time Central League MVP was heavily scouted by MLB teams. In 2001, he turned down what would’ve been a record $64 million contract from Yomiuri, and instead signed with the New York Yankees after the 2002 season. It was a 3 year, $21 million deal. He was an instant success, playing in every single game, hitting .287 with 106 RBIs, making the All-Star team and finishing 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting, a controversial decision as most believed Matsui was the clear best rookie. He became the first Japanese player to hit a World Series home run, although the Yankees lost to the Marlins. In 2004, he was even better, crushing 31 homers and driving in 108. From 2003 to 2005, he was an iron man, missing zero games. In November of ‘05, he signed a 4-year $52 million extension. He hit 28 bombs in 2009, helping the Yankees make the playoffs and then completely tore it up in the Fall Classic, going 8 for 13 with 3 bombs, taking home World Series MVP honors. He joined Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the only players to hit over .500 in the World Series while also hitting 3 home runs. He signed with the Angels for 2010 and crushed 21 bombs with a .274 average and .361 on-base-percentage. He finished his career with the A’s in 2011 and Rays in 2012 before signing a one-day contract to retire as a New York Yankee. He was elected to the Japanese Hall of Fame in 2018 and when combining both his Japanese and MLB careers, he is one of the greats of all time.

3. Yu Darvish

In the early 2000’s, Yu Darvish was already getting attention from MLB teams while he was still pitching in High School. He signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters and started his pro career in 2005. He quickly became a star in the league and from 2007 to 2011 – 5 straight seasons – he never finished a season with an ERA under 1.88. After the 2011 seasons, MLB teams had a limited time to send in their offers for the star pitcher and the Texas Rangers made an offer that couldn’t be refused. Darvish ended up signing for $60 million to play in Texas. He had a stellar rookie season, going 16-9 with a 3.9 ERA, making the All Star Team and finishing 3rd for the Rookie of the Year. In 2013, Darvish led the league with 277 strikeouts and finished 2nd in the Cy Young voting, becoming an absolute MLB superstar. He made 3 straight All Star teams but missed 2015 due to Tommy John Surgery. In 2017, the Rangers traded Darvish to the Dodgers, where he pitched well in the NLDS and NLCS, but struggled greatly in the World Series, when the Dodgers lost to the Astros. This was remembered when the Astros Sign Stealing scandal became public in 2019, but Darvish refused to blame the Astros for his poor performance. Darvish went on to pitch for the Cubs where he struggled with injuries until 2020, when he 8-3 in the COVID-shortened season with a 2.01 ERA, leading the league in wins and finishing 2nd for the Cy Young. He signed with the Padres for 2021 and has been a solid piece of their rotation eversince, In 2023, he surpassed Hideo Nomo to become MLB’s Japanese-born leader all-time in strikeouts. Darvish is signed with the Padres through 2029 but it will be a tall task to ever surpass the next two legends.

2. Shohei Ohtani

Another active player and the best and most popular superstar in the game today, comes in at #2 and it’s Shohei Ohtani. He was identified early in his baseball career as an elite two-way player who could end up being a professional hitter or pitcher or perhaps both. He was already hitting 99 MPH on the radar gun in High School and got the attention of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who became his top choice to play for when entering the pros. Instead, he stayed in Japan to play for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters after the Dodgers were hesitant to let him pitch and hit at a high level. By 2015, he was one of the best pitchers in the league although his offense hadn’t yet reached its potential. He hit just .202 with 5 homers, but then in 2016, his bat exploded with 22 bombs and a .322 batting average. He continued to pitch at an elite level as well and by 2017 was ready to make the move to MLB. He signed a deal with the Los Angeles Angels, who intended to let him try to be a two-way player. In his rookie year of 2018, he hit .285 with 22 bombs and also started 10 games as pitcher, striking out 63 batters in 51.2 innings with a 3.31 ERA. He won the Rookie of the Year Award, but couldn’t pitch the following season due to Tommy John Surgery. He still helped his team with the bat and by 2021, was fully healthy and had a tremendous season, crushing 46 bombs while also going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, taking home the MVP and becoming a bonafide MLB superstar. In 2022, his pitching went to a new level as he started a career high 28 games and went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and also smashed 34 bombs. He was doing things no other MLB player had ever done and then in 2023, led the league in 43 homers, a .412 on-base percentage, 1.066 OPS while going 10-5 with a 3.34 ERA, and is basically a lock for second MVP Award. By the time his career is over, he may take the crown as the greatest Japanese-born MLB player ever – and could even enter into the conversation as the greatest of all time, as the only other player to hit or pitch at such a level was the legendary Babe Ruth.

1. Ichiro Suzuki

But for now, with Ohtani only having played 6 years of Major League Baseball, the #1 slot has to go to none other than Ichiro Suzuki, who played an incredible 19 years in the Major Leagues despite not making his big league debut until the age of 27. Counting his career in Japan, he played 28 professional seasons. Ichiro made his professional debut in 1992 for the Orix Bluewave but didn’t have his breakout season until 1994 when he hit .385 – a Pacific League Record - with 29 stolen bases, becoming an instant superstar. He had an unorthodox swing called the pendulum, in which he shifts his weight forward while swinging the bat. During his career in Japan, he won 7 straight batting titles and 3 straight MVPs. His manager suggested that he put the name “Ichiro” on the back of his jersey instead of the family name “Suzuki,” which is one of the most common last names in Japan. This led to him being referred to simply as “Ichiro,” and this custom followed him to the United States when Ichiro signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2001. He was the first Japanese-born position player in the big leagues. Whether he could make the transition or not was answered immediately as Ichiro led the league with a .350 batting average, 242 hits, and 52 stolen bases, easily taking home both the Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards, joining Fred Lynn as the only two MLB players to win both awards in the same year. He helped lead the Mariners to tie an MLB record with 116 wins on the season then hit .600 in the ALDS. He became the hands-down best hitter in baseball, accumulating over 200 hits for 10 consecutive seasons. He also broke the single season hit record with 262 in 2004. He made 10 straight All Star Teams and also played near flawless defense, winning 10 Gold Gloves. He didn’t slow down until his late 30’s and in 2012, the M’s traded him to the Yankees, where he got a hit in his first 12 games, tying a Yankee record. He hit .322 for New York, leading to a fresh 2-year contract. He went on to play 3 seasons for the Miami Marlins before returning to the Mariners to finish out an incredible career. Ichiro will easily be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2025, becoming the first Japanese-born player in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The only question is whether or not it will be unanimous.