Profile

One of Japan’s leading right-handed power pitchers. He joined the Yakult Swallows in 1997 as the 2nd-round draft pick. After converting to a closer in 2003, he filled the void left by Takashi Saito’s move to the major leagues, exceeding expectations and becoming the Yakult Swallows’ guardian deity in both name and reality, even winning the title of Most Valuable Relief Pitcher.

In a game against the Hanshin Tigers in September 2004, he made headlines by throwing 158 km/h, tying the record for the fastest speed by a Japanese player, 3 times in a row.

He exercised his FA rights in November 2009, and joined the New York Mets of MLB from the 2010 season, recording 5 wins. From 2012, he moved around MLB, playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees.

He transferred to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2013, returning to Japanese baseball. In the 2014 season, he pitched in 63 games, recording a 1-win, 3-loss, 2-save, 44-hold record with a 1.52 ERA, contributing to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks’ championship victory. From 2019, he played for his former team, the Yakult Swallows. He achieved the 900-game milestone in total games pitched in Japan and the United States, becoming the 4th player in history to do so. He announced his retirement at the end of the 2020 season.

After retirement, he is taking on challenges in various fields, not just baseball.

Career Stats

Total Japan/US: 906 Games Pitched (all relief)

NPB Total: 822 Games Pitched, 65 Wins, 39 Losses, 70 Saves, 163 Holds, 920 Strikeouts, 2.93 ERA

MLB Total: 83 Games Pitched, 5 Wins, 2 Losses, 0 Saves, 4 Holds, 6.41 ERA

Team History

Keiai Gakuen High School

Yakult Swallows

Tokyo Yakult Swallows (1998 – 2009)

New York Mets (2010 – 2011)

Toronto Blue Jays (2012)

New York Yankees (2012)

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2013 – 2018)

Tokyo Yakult Swallows (2019 – 2020)