New York Yankees: Masahiro Tanaka not greatest Japanese pitcher…yet

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.