New York Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka not greatest Japanese pitcher…yet
Masahiro Tanaka has put together an impressive resume for the New York Yankees. However, he is not the best pitcher to come out of Japan…yet.
Japanese players have become an important part of Major League Baseball over the years, with players from Japan making a tremendous impact upon the game. Players like Hideo Nomo and Ichiro Suzuki showed the world that Nippon Professional Baseball had developed some incredible players, talents that were more than worthy of being a part of the major leagues. Even Masanori Murakami, the first ever Japanese player, showed that there was plenty of talent ready to be developed overseas.
That legacy continues to this day. While there are several great Japanese pitchers currently plying their trade stateside, one, in particular, has received a good deal of attention of late. New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has been dominant in the postseason over his career, leading to the argument that he may be one of the greatest postseason pitchers in major league history.
The argument has even been made that Tanaka is the greatest pitcher from Japan to come stateside. While he has an impressive resume, he is not quite there…yet. In fact, there is another current pitcher that may have a better claim to being the best pitcher ever to come from Japan than Tanaka currently has. However, as he is still at the end of his hypothetical prime, and should have several more solid years left, Tanaka could take that crown.
So, if new York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka is not the best major league pitcher to come out of Japan, who is? Let’s take a look.
Just because these pitchers may not be in the race for the greatest pitcher from Japan does not mean that they were not excellent in their own right.
While closers usually do not fall into the conversation of the greatest pitchers of all time, there have been three excellent closers to come from Japan. Kazuhiro Sasaki was the first, notching 129 saves for the Mariners while earning two All Star berths and being named the 2000 AL Rookie of the Year. Koji Uehara excelled as either a closer or setup man in his nine seasons stateside, with one All Star Game nod and being named the 2013 ALCS MVP. Takashi Saito was similar to Uehara in that he bounced from a setup role to closing, and also earned an All Star nod. However, Saito was already 36 when he came stateside, leaving one to wonder what he could have done if he began his major league career earlier.
There are also a few starters that made an impact. Hisashi Iwakuma was a solid starter for the Mariners, winning 14 or more games three times and earning an All Star berth in 2013. Hiroki Kuroda was a very underrated pitcher during his time with the Dodgers and Yankees, winning double digit games in five of his seven major league seasons and ranking third all time amongst Japanese pitchers with 20.7 bWAR.
And then, if we are going to look down the line, there may be Shohei Ohtani. The two way player has already changed the game, showing himself to be a force on the mound and at the plate. However, as he comes off of Tommy Joh surgery, Ohtani will need to prove he can stay healthy. If so, he may well join this conversation in the coming years.
Who is the best pitcher to come from Japan? Here is the competition facing the New York Yankees starter.
Hideo Nomo is often mistakenly credited with being the first Japanese pitcher in the majors. While he was not, he certainly set a high bar.
His tornado windup caught the imagination, as Nomo turned his back entirely towards the batter before unwinding as he fired the ball home. That delivery had quite the effect on the batter, as Nomo put together an impressive career. The 1995 NL Rookie of the Year, he made the All Star team as a rookie, and won exactly 16 games three times.
Over his impressive career, Nomo posted a 123-109 record, along with a 4.24 ERA and a 1.345 WHiP. He was a solid strikeout pitcher in his day, with 1918 strikeouts in his 1976.1 innings, leading the league twice. Nomo also had 976 walks, as he battled his command during his time in the majors. He was the fourth pitcher to throw a no hitter in each league, doing so with the Dodgers and Red Sox.
Although his career ended over a decade ago, Nomo is still the pitcher that other Japanese hurlers are measured against. It is understandable, as he has the most wins, strikeouts, complete games, and innings pitched of any of his fellow countrymen in the majors. He also ranks second with 21.8 bWAR, a valuable pitcher who set the stage for the current wave of Japanese pitchers.
While Hideo Nomo was excellent, he does have competition for the title of the greatest pitcher to come from Japan.
If we base the best pitcher to come from Japan on bWAR alone, then the answer is Yu Darvish.
His resume may be even more impressive than Nomo’s. A four time All Star, Darvish finished second in the 2013 Cy Youn vote, has four seasons with over 200 strikeouts, and his 11.1 K/9 rate is the best mark in major league history of any pitcher with over 1000 innings in their career. Darvish also has 22.1 bWAR, the best mark of any Japanese pitcher.
The statistics certainly speak for themselves. Despite missing time due to Tommy Joh surgery, Darvish has been a relatively solid pitcher. He has posted a 63-53 record, along with a 3.57 ERA and a 1.174 WHiP, striking out 1299 batters with just 384 walks in his 1051 innings.
However, as dominant as Darvish was during his time with the Rangers, he has not been the same pitcher for Chicago. His first season with the Cubs was hampered by injuries, and then he was victimized by the long ball in 2019. At 33 years old, he still has plenty of time to get his career back on track, but all those innings may be starting to wear on Darvish.
Should that be the case, and Yu Darvish is starting to wear down, then Tanaka may be ready to take the crown.
As it stands, Masahiro Tanaka has had a strong run with the New York Yankees.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
While he may not have the resume of Yu Darvish and Hideo Nomo, he still has put together a solid career. A two time All Star, Tanaka has won double digit games every season he has been in the majors, serving as a key piece atop the Yankees rotation. Although he has had his own injury concerns, he has made at least 20 appearances every year.
That success has manifested itself in his career numbers. Thus far, Tanaka has posted a 75-43 record, along with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.128 WHiP. Over his 1006.1 innings, he has 947 strikeouts and 200 walks. In fact, his 1.8 BB/9 rate is the best amongst all active pitchers with at least 1000 innings pitched.
While Darvish has had his struggles over the past two seasons, Tanaka has continued to pitch well. With a potent Yankees lineup behind him, he is likely to continue to accumulate those counting numbers, pushing his value even higher. The biggest obstacle at this point may be Tanaka’s health, as his elbow has to be a concern moving forward.
Next. Sabathia gave it everything he had. dark
Masahiro Tanaka is not the greatest Japanese pitcher to come to the majors just yet. However, in a couple of years, the New York Yankees starter may be able to make a claim to that crown.