Every year, Japanese players cross the sea and make their mark in MLB, and it's become quite the norm. For the 2024 season, Yushin Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers and Shota Imanaga with the Cubs, both showing stellar performances that lived up to the hype. Let's take a look at which teams have historically welcomed Japanese players and rank them by the number of players who were with them in their first year.
[MLB Data Column] National League Pitchers' 2024 Win Ranking
First, here are the teams ranked 5th to 10th:
4th-10th:
5th: Chicago Cubs (5 players)
- Kosuke Fukudome / Kyuji Fujikawa / Takashi Wada / Seiya Suzuki / Shota Imanaga
6thT: New York Yankees (4 players)
- Hideki Irabu / Hideki Matsui / Kei Igawa / Masahiro Tanaka
6thT: Texas Rangers (4 players)
- Kazuo Fukumori / Yoshinori Takeyama / Yu Darvish / Kohei Arihara
8thT: Cleveland Guardians (3 players)
- Kazuto Tadano / Masahide Kobayashi / Tohru Murata
8thT: San Diego Padres (3 players)
- Akihiro Otsuka / Kazuhisa Makita / Yuuki Matsui
10thT: Chicago White Sox (2 players)
- Shingo Takatsu / Tadahito Iguchi
10thT: Milwaukee Brewers (2 players)
- Takahito Nomura / Norichika Aoki
10thT: Oakland Athletics (2 players)
- Keiichi Yabu / Shintaro Fujinami
10thT: San Francisco Giants (2 players)
- Masanori Murakami / Kensuke Tanaka
10thT: Tampa Bay Rays (2 players)
- Akinori Iwamura / Yoshitomo Tsutsugo
10thT: Toronto Blue Jays (2 players)
- Shun Yamaguchi / Go Matsumoto
Next, let's look at the top 4 teams, ranked from 2nd place:
2ndT: Seattle Mariners (7 players)
- Kazuhiro Sasaki / Ichiro Suzuki / Kenji Johjima / Munenori Kawasaki / Hisashi Iwakuma / Yusei Kikuchi, etc.
The Mariners are probably the most familiar team in Japan. When Ichiro moved from the Orix BlueWave to the Mariners in 2001, many Japanese baseball fans watched eagerly as he set the rookie record for hits with 242, winning the batting title, stolen base title, MVP, and Rookie of the Year. Ichiro's success boosted the team's recognition. After that, other Japanese stars like Sasaki (from the BayStars) and Johjima (from SoftBank) joined the Mariners. With Ichiro's likely induction into the Hall of Fame in 2025, the Mariners will likely receive renewed attention.
2ndT: Los Angeles Dodgers (7 players)
- Hideo Nomo / Kazuhisa Ishii / Takashi Saito / Hiroki Kuroda / Kenta Maeda / Yoshinobu Yamamoto, etc.
Speaking of MLB pioneers, Hideo Nomo is one of the first names that come to mind, and the Dodgers, Nomo's first MLB team, became known to Japanese baseball fans due to Nomo's "tornado windup." Nomo recorded a 45-36 record from 1995 to mid-1998, then later returned in 2002 with a 16-win season, repeating the same feat in 2003. The Dodgers continued to sign top Japanese players, including Ishii, Kuroda, Maeda, and Yamamoto, making the team a consistent subject of attention from Japan, especially after acquiring Shohei Ohtani, who helped them win the World Series.
2ndT: Boston Red Sox (7 players)
- Hideki Okajima / Daisuke Matsuzaka / Junichi Tazawa / Takahiro Sakamoto / Masataka Yoshida / Naoyuki Uwasawa, etc.
The Red Sox gained significant attention when Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japan's ace, joined in 2007. In his debut game, he faced Ichiro (Mariners) and kept him hitless, marking a thrilling moment for Japanese fans. Matsuzaka had a stellar debut season with 15 wins and 18 wins in 2008. Another key moment was the "Tazawa Issue," when Junichi Tazawa declined Japan's draft and signed directly with the MLB, eventually becoming a key bullpen arm and contributing to the Red Sox's 2013 World Series win.
1st: New York Mets (9 players)
- Rihito Yoshii / Tsuyoshi Shinjo / Satoru Komiyama / Kazuo Matsui / Ryota Igarashi / Koudai Senga, etc.
The New York Mets, one of the most popular teams in MLB, have had the highest number of Japanese players, with 9 players in their first year. Among them, Tsuyoshi Shinjo’s signing is particularly memorable. Shinjo became a sensation when he signed with the Mets in 2001, despite offers from other teams. In total, the Mets have had 15 Japanese players, including stars like Hideo Nomo, Shingo Takatsu, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Norichika Aoki, setting a record for the most Japanese players in MLB.
[MLB Data Column] How Did Japanese Pitchers Perform in Their First Year?
From the West Coast to the East Coast, many MLB teams have welcomed Japanese players and provided them opportunities to shine, and many Japanese players have responded to this with remarkable performances. While the period may be short in the grand scheme of MLB history, the path blazed by pioneers like Nomo and Ichiro has been followed by many, and today, many Japanese players are mainstays in their teams. Shohei Ohtani's remarkable success is well-deserved, and we can look forward to future stars following in their footsteps.
(SDAA Editorial Team)