Dodgers keep adding to rich history of Japanese stars

December 22nd, 2023

Major League Baseball and its fans are no strangers to the ongoing phenomenon that is Japanese baseball and the players who got their start across the globe from where they would later become household names.

One of them, two-way marvel Shohei Ohtani, has even become the highest-paid player in the history of the sport. Another, 25-year-old ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, has agreed to a deal (per a source) that would make him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history in terms of total guaranteed dollars.

That both agreements are with the Dodgers is fitting in more ways than one. Not only have Ohtani and Yamamoto found spots on a high-priced, star-studded roster, they'll also be joining a franchise that has already played host to some of the most talented Japanese ballplayers in MLB history.

But the Dodgers are hardly the only club with strong ties to Japan and Nippon Professional Baseball. Here's a look at seven teams that boast rich histories of Japanese-born stars, sorted by combined WAR, per FanGraphs.

Mariners (11 total players from Japan; 79.3 combined fWAR)
Key players: Ichiro Suzuki, Hisashi Iwakuma, Kazuhiro Sasaki

Ichiro is a man who needs no introduction, but we'll give him one anyway. He played 28 seasons of professional baseball from 1992-2019, the last 19 of which were spent in MLB, where he made 10 consecutive All-Star appearances from 2001-10. He remains one of just two players in Major League history to win a Rookie of the Year and league MVP award in the same season, holds the all-time single-season hits record (262 in 2004), and ended his prolific career with 3,089 hits.

However, when Ichiro took home his 2001 AL Rookie of the Year Award, he was the second consecutive Mariner to do so -- the first was Sasaki, who spent four seasons in Seattle's bullpen, posting a 3.14 ERA with a franchise-record 129 saves. Iwakuma, Shigetoshi Hasegawa and current Blue Jay Yusei Kikuchi each had All-Star campaigns of their own with the Mariners.

Dodgers (10 players; 55.1 fWAR)
Key players: Hideo Nomo, Kenta Maeda, Hiroki Kuroda

When Yamamoto takes the mound in a Dodgers uniform, he'll be the latest in a line of some of the most successful Japanese pitchers to ever make the journey to MLB. (Ohtani isn't expected to pitch until 2025.) Nomo, still the most prolific Japanese-born pitcher in Major League history, remains the only pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter at Coors Field, which he did in 1996, a year in which the park set the all-time record for the highest single-season ballpark ERA in Major League history (7.06). Maeda, Kuroda, Kazuhisa Ishii and Takashi Saito also began successful MLB careers with the Dodgers.

Ohtani will find slightly less competition on the other side of the ball in his Dodgers career; as of 2023, Dave Roberts, with his 302 games played, remains the longest-tenured Japanese-born position player in franchise history.

Roberts, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and American father before later relocating to the United States, has also been the Dodgers' manager since 2016.

Yankees (7 players; 46.8 fWAR)
Key players: Masahiro Tanaka, Hideki Matsui, Hiroki Kuroda

Both Tanaka and Matsui spent seven seasons with the Yankees, being named to two All-Star teams each. Tanaka, who returned to NPB following the abbreviated 2020 season, logged over 1,000 innings in the Majors, all in New York, posting a 3.74 ERA with a career 114 ERA+. Matsui, for his part, hit .292 with a combined 123 OPS+ as a Yankee and was the 2009 World Series MVP. Kuroda, perhaps better known for his career with the Dodgers, turned in three sparkling seasons in pinstripes from 2012-14.

There is one more particularly notable Japanese player in Yankees franchise history, though; when the Mariners made the surprising decision to trade Ichiro in the middle of the 2012 season, it was the Yankees who acquired him, and with whom he collected his 4,000th professional hit between NPB and MLB.

Angels (5 players; 35.8 fWAR)
Key players: Shohei Ohtani, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Hideki Matsui

Five Japanese-born ballplayers have suited up for the Angels in their history. Of those five, four have been worth a collective 4.0 WAR -- the fifth is Ohtani. And although his Angels career is over after six seasons, that was plenty of time for him to build a remarkable legacy there. In Anaheim, Ohtani was named the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year, made three All-Star teams, won two MVP awards, and re-established the concept of the two-way player in MLB, earning himself a record-setting 10-year, $700 million payout ahead of the 2024 season.

Before Ohtani, Hasegawa was the Angels' longest-tenured Japanese-born pitcher, posting a career 3.85 ERA over five seasons in Anaheim; Hisanori Takahashi also had a pair of solid seasons out of the Angels' bullpen in 2011-12. Matsui, who hit .274 with 21 home runs for the Angels in 2010, was the first (and, until Ohtani, only) Japanese-born position player in franchise history.

Red Sox (10 players; 26.1 fWAR)
Key players: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa

Matsuzaka, already a six-time NPB All-Star at age 26 (he'd make his seventh All-Star team in 2018, long after the conclusion of his MLB career), was an enormous get for the Red Sox when they signed him in December 2006. In his first Major League season, he finished fourth in the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year race and won his first (and only) World Series ring.

Although Matsuzaka grabbed the most headlines, he's not alone by any stretch of the imagination. Uehara had one of the best seasons by a reliever in MLB history in 2013, pitching to a microscopic 1.09 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings, a performance that earned him Cy Young and MVP Award votes and the chance to close out the 2013 World Series. Tazawa, too, had a few sparkling seasons out of the Red Sox bullpen. Hideo Nomo, although better known as a Dodger, threw his second no-hitter in his first Red Sox appearance on April 4, 2001. Dave Roberts played just 45 games in Boston but had what may have been the most important stolen base in the team's history in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Rangers (8 total players; 20.3 fWAR)
Key players: Yu Darvish, Akinori Otsuka, Koji Uehara

The Rangers get a mention for being the club that helped to introduce Darvish, who'd already had an incredible career in the Japan Pacific League, to MLB. In parts of five seasons spent in Texas, Darvish went 52-39 with a 3.42 ERA and a 11.0 K/9 rate.

Mets (14 players; 10.2 fWAR)
Key players: Kodai Senga, Masato Yoshii, Hisanori Takahashi

More Japanese-born players have spent time with the Mets than with any other MLB franchise -- the Mariners, with their 11 Japanese alums, are second -- but the most successful to this point has been No. 14. Senga finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting and seventh in the NL Cy Young race in 2023, the first year of a five-year, $75 million deal.

seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com