The Best Japanese MLB Players of All-Time

If you follow us on Instagram or Twitter, you may have seen us following the World Baseball Classic over the last few weeks. With their exciting walk-off last night, let's take a look at some of the Japanese ballplayers that we've loved over the years. Major League Baseball has seen countless legendary players from all over, but few have made as big of an impact as the Japanese players who have graced its fields. From Ichiro Suzuki to Shohei Ohtani, these players have redefined what it means to be a great MLB player and have left a lasting legacy for generations of fans to come. Let's take a closer look at some of the best Japanese MLB players of all time.

Ichiro Suzuki

Ichiro Suzuki is without a doubt one of the most recognizable names in baseball. He played in Japan from 1992-2000 before coming to the United States in 2001 and making an immediate splash with the Seattle Mariners. In his first season with the team, he was named AL Rookie of the Year, MVP and led them to an American League West Division title, setting the AL record for wins. He retired in 2019 after playing for 19 seasons in Major League Baseball, having won 10 Gold Glove Awards, three All-Star selections, and two batting titles during that time. His career batting average was .311 and he finished with 3,089 hits in the MLB – good for 18th on the all-time list.

Hideo Nomo

Perhaps no player better embodies Japanese pride than Hideo Nomo – often considered by many to be one of Japan's greatest sports heroes ever. Nomo began his professional baseball career back in 1990 with Kintetsu Buffaloes before becoming one of just seven MLB players ever to officially play for both leagues when he joined Los Angeles Dodgers in 1995. Overall, Nomo ended up winning 123 games throughout his 11 year career while recording 1,918 strikeouts along with four All-Star appearances and two no hitters.

Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish is one of the most dominant pitchers in MLB today. He has made five All-Star appearances and won two ERA titles while also helping his teams make it to the playoffs four times. In 2017, he was traded from the Texas Rangers to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he pitched in the World Series against the Houston Astros. His performance has been outstanding throughout his career; he currently holds a 3.50 ERA and 1,788 strikeouts in his 10-year MLB career. Darvish has been one of the top Japanese players in MLB for many years now and will likely continue to be for many more years to come.

Hideki Matsui

Nicknamed "Godzilla," Hideki Matsui is another Japanese player who made an impact on MLB during his career. After nine seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, Matsui signed with the New York Yankees in 2003 and quickly became one of their best hitters. In 2009, he was named MVP of the World Series as he helped lead the Yankees to their 27th championship title. Throughout his 10-year MLB career, Matsui played for four teams —the Yankees (2003–2009), Los Angeles Angels (2010), Oakland Athletics (2011) and Tampa Bay Rays (2012). He retired with a .282 batting average and 175 home runs while being named an All-Star twice.

Masahiro Tanaka

Masahiro Tanaka is another major name when it comes to Japanese MLB stars. After playing professionally in Japan from 2007-2013, Tanaka joined the New York Yankees in 2014 and quickly became one of their best pitchers. He has since gone on to become one of their most reliable starters; he recorded double-digit wins every year between 2014-2020, including a career-best 14 wins during his rookie season and 16 wins during his second year with New York.

Shohei Ohtani

The last player we'll talk about is Shohei Ohtani—one of the most promising young stars in all of baseball today. After playing for five seasons with Japan's Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Angels in 2018 as both a pitcher and hitter—something that hasn't been seen since Babe Ruth. In 2019, Ohtani earned AL Rookie Of The Year honours after hitting 22 home runs while also impressing as a starting pitcher during that same season—becoming only second player ever to do so since Babe Ruth did it way back in 1918! He won AL MVP in 2021 after an incredible season and appears to be a perennial MVP candidate when healthy, so expect him to climb up this list as his career progresses!

Japanese players have been a mainstay in Major League Baseball since 1995 when Hideo Nomo broke onto the scene with Los Angeles Dodgers; since then, from Ichiro to Ohtani, many have had successful careers while leaving behind legacies that will continue long after they’ve retired from baseball altogether. Together these six men represent some of Japan’s greatest athletes ever produced – each having achieved something extraordinary on their way to becoming some of baseball’s greatest legends. Whether you’re an avid collector or just a casual fan looking for someone new to root for this season – these are definitely some names you should remember!