New York Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka not greatest Japanese pitcher…yet
By David Hill
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.