Ranking Ichiro Suzuki and the 25 Greatest Japanese-Born Players in MLB History

Ichiro Suzuki was one of the faces of baseball during the 2000s after making the jump from the Japanese League to join the Seattle Mariners, paving the way for a generation of players in the process as the first Japanese-born position player in MLB history.

Now he is forever enshrined as a Hall of Famer.

In honor of his induction into Cooperstown, we are counting down the 25 greatest Japanese-born players in MLB history.

Pitcher Masanori Murakami was the first player from Japan to appear in an MLB game back in 1965, and it was 30 years before Hideo Nomo became the second on that list. Now MLB rosters are loaded with international talent from all over the world, including more than a few Japanese stars, headlined by Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish and 2024 rookies Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Only MLB stats were considered when ranking players, so the focus here is on who had the best MLB career, not necessarily who had the best professional career in general.

Let's start with a few honorable mentions before diving into the top 25.

Pitchers

RP Yoshihisa Hirano
SP Hideki Irabu
SP Kazuhisa Ishii
SP Kenshin Kawakami
SP Yusei Kikuchi
RP Yuki Matsui
RP Masanori Murakami
SP Tomo Ohka
RP Hirokazu Sawamura
SP Mac Suzuki
RP Hisanori Takahashi
RP Shingo Takatsu
RP Junichi Tazawa
RP Keiichi Yabu
SP Yoshinobu Yamamoto
SP Masato Yoshii

Hitters

OF Kosuke Fukudome
IF Munenori Kawasaki
OF Tsuyoshi Shinjo
OF So Taguchi
1B Yoshi Tsutsugo
DH Masataka Yoshida

25. 2B Akinori Iwamura (2007-10)

408 G, 92 OPS+, .267/.345/.375, 112 XBH (16 HR), 117 RBI, 32 SB, 4.5 WAR

Iwamura debuted with a 105 OPS+ and 38 extra-base hits in 123 games while serving as Tampa Bay's primary third baseman in 2007. The following season he shifted to second base where he logged a 3.1-WAR campaign for a Rays team that reached the World Series, good for the seventh-highest total on a 97-win roster.

24. RP Shigetoshi Hasegawa (1997-2005)

517 G, 33 SV, 3.70 ERA (125 ERA+), 1.33 WHIP, 447 K, 720.1 IP, 11.6 WAR

Hasegawa is the all-time leader among Japanese-born pitchers with 517 MLB appearances over nine seasons with the Angels and Mariners. He was an All-Star in 2003 when he logged a 1.48 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 16 saves in 63 games, and he had a pair of 3-WAR seasons out of the bullpen in his career.

23. C Kenji Johjima (2006-09)

462 G, 91 OPS+, .268/.310/.411, 137 XBH (48 HR), 198 RBI, 7 SB, 5.3 WAR

Johjima slugged 150 home runs over his final five seasons in Japan before signing a three-year, $16.5 million deal to join the Mariners ahead of the 2006 season. The 30-year-old hit .291/.332/.451 with 25 doubles, 18 home runs and 76 RBI in 144 games to finish fourth in AL Rookie of the Year balloting, and followed that up with similar numbers in his second season before falling off.

22. SP Shota Imanaga (2024-Active)

29 GS, 15-3, 2.91 ERA (137 ERA+), 1.02 WHIP, 174 K, 173.1 IP, 3.0 WAR

If Imanaga can replicate last season's success, he will steadily climb these rankings in the coming years. He finished 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 173.1 innings. He was selected to the NL All-Star team, while also finishing fourth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting and fifth in NL Cy Young voting.

21. SP Kodai Senga (2023-Active)

30 GS, 13-7, 2.99 ERA (140 ERA+), 1.20 WHIP, 211 K, 171.2 IP, 4.6 WAR

Armed with a mid-90s fastball and a lethal forkball, Senga racked up 202 strikeouts in 166.1 innings during a 4.5-WAR rookie season in 2023. Injuries limited him to just 5.1 innings this past season, but he has top-of-the-rotation stuff and will enter 2025 as the co-ace of the staff for the Mets alongside Sean Manaea.

20. 2B Kazuo Matsui (2004-10)

630 G, 83 OPS+, .267/.321/.380, 176 XBH (32 HR), 211 RBI, 102 SB, 5.3 WAR

A speedy middle infielder with a solid glove, Matsui spent seven seasons in the majors with the Mets, Rockies and Astros. He hit .288/.342/.405 with 34 extra-base hits, 32 steals, 84 runs scored and 3.4 WAR as the starting second baseman for a 2007 Rockies team that reached the World Series.

19. 2B Tadahito Iguchi (2005-08)

493 G, 93 OPS+, .268/.338/.401, 146 XBH (44 HR), 205 RBI, 48 SB, 6.4 WAR

Iguchi hit .278/.342/.438 for a 104 OPS+ with 25 doubles, 15 home runs, 71 RBI and 15 steals as a 30-year-old rookie for the White Sox in 2005, playing second base and batting second for the eventual World Series champions. The following year he hit .281/.352/.422 with 24 doubles, 18 home runs and 67 RBI in 138 games before his production dipped the following year and he was traded to the Phillies.

18. RP Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000-03)

228 G, 129 SV, 3.14 ERA (138 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 242 K, 223.1 IP, 3.7 WAR

Sasaki was already 32 years old when he made his MLB debut, but he put together a three-year run with the Mariners where he was one of the best closers in baseball. He posted a 3.16 ERA and 11.2 K/9 with 37 saves in 63 games to win 2000 AL Rookie of the Year honors, and followed that up with back-to-back All-Star selections.

17. SP Kenta Maeda (2016-Active)

219 G, 172 GS, 68-56, 4.17 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 1,047 K, 978.2 IP, 6.9 WAR

Maeda spent four seasons as a swingman for the Dodgers to begin his MLB career, posting a 3.87 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 641 strikeouts in 589 innings over 103 starts and 34 relief appearances. He was traded to the Twins in exchange for Brusdar Graterol and promptly finished runner-up in AL Cy Young voting during the shortened 2020 campaign, and he is now in the second season of a two-year, $24 million deal with the Tigers.

16. OF Seiya Suzuki (2022-Active)

381 G, 128 OPS+, .278/.354/.470, 154 XBH (55 HR), 193 RBI, 31 SB, 8.2 WAR

Suzuki has been a steady offensive performer for the Cubs over the first three seasons of his five-year, $85 million contract, averaging 34 doubles, 23 home runs, 82 RBI and 3.5 WAR per 162 games. Entering his age-30 season, he is expected to be the North Siders primary DH this year following the addition of right fielder Kyle Tucker.

15. OF Dave Roberts (1999-2008)

832 G, 89 OPS+, .266/.342/.366, 171 XBH (23 HR), 213 RBI, 243 SB, 9.1 WAR

While he attended high school in the states and was drafted out of UCLA in 1994, Roberts was born in Naha, Japan, where his father was stationed in the Marines. The speedy outfielder is best known for his steal of second base that sparked the Red Sox in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees, and he had five seasons with at least 30 steals during a 10-year career.

14. RP Hideki Okajima (2007-13)

266 G, 6 SV, 3.09 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 216 K, 250.1 IP, 6.9 WAR

A somewhat under-the-radar signing by the Red Sox the same year they opened up their wallets for Daisuke Matsuzaka, Okajima earned an All-Star selection as a rookie in 2007 when he logged a 2.22 ERA and 0.97 WHIP with five saves and holds in 66 appearances. He was a lights-out setup man for three seasons in Boston, bridging the gap to Jonathan Papelbon in the late innings.

13. RP Akinori Otsuka (2004-07)

236 G, 39 SV, 2.44 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.116 WHIP, 217 K, 232.0 IP, 6.6 WAR

Otsuka had 137 saves over seven years in Japan before joining the Padres ahead of his age-32 season. He posted a 1.75 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 10.1 K/9 with two saves and 34 holds in 73 appearances to finish third in 2004 NL Rookie of the Year voting. After two seasons in San Diego, he was traded to the Rangers in the deal that brought Adrián González to the Padres, and he had a 32-save season during his first year in Texas.

12. OF Nori Aoki (2012-17)

758 G, 102 OPS+, .285/.350/.387, 190 XBH (33 HR), 219 RBI, 98 SB, 10.3 WAR

With a strong mix of contact skills and speed, Aoki had a well-traveled six-year run in the majors with the Brewers, Royals, Giants, Mariners, Astros, Blue Jays and Mets. His best season was his rookie year in 2012 when he hit .288/.355/.433 for a 109 OPS+ with 37 doubles, 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 81 runs scored, 30 steals and 3.2 WAR in 151 games. He had almost as many walks (234) as strikeouts (258) in 3,044 career plate appearances.

11. SP Daisuke Matsuzaka (2007-14)

158 G, 132 GS, 56-43, 4.45 ERA (99 ERA+), 1.40 WHIP, 720 K, 790.1 IP, 9.4 WAR

Few international prospects have come stateside with more hype than "Dice-K," who signed a six-year, $52 million deal after the Red Sox paid a $51.1 million posting fee for the right to negotiate. He went 15-12 with a 4.40 ERA and 201 strikeouts in 204.2 innings as a rookie while helping the Red Sox win a World Series title, then followed that up by going 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 167.2 innings the following year for a fourth-place finish in Cy Young balloting. That proved to be his peak, and injuries derailed his career from there, but he made a major impact during those two healthy seasons.

10. RP Takashi Saito (2006-12)

338 G, 84 SV, 2.34 ERA (185 ERA+), 1.06 WHIP, 400 K, 338.0 IP, 10.5 WAR

Saito was 36 years old when he made his MLB debut with the Dodgers in 2006, and he began his MLB career with a three-year run as one of the best relievers in baseball, logging a 1.95 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 11.6 K/9 with 81 saves in 180 appearances. From there he spent one year each with the Red Sox, Braves and Brewers, serving as a quality setup option into his 40s.

9. SP Hisashi Iwakuma (2012-17)

150 G, 136 GS, 63-39, 3.42 ERA (111 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 714 K, 883.2 IP, 16.8 WAR

The highest single-season WAR total by a Japanese-born pitcher belongs to Iwakuma, who was a 7.0-WAR player in 2013 when he finished 14-6 with a 2.66 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 219.2 innings, finishing third in AL Cy Young voting and earning an All-Star selection. He spent his entire six-year MLB career with the Mariners, logging at least 2.0 WAR in each of his first five seasons.

8. RP Koji Uehara (2009-17)

436 G, 95 SV, 2.66 ERA (162 ERA+), 0.89 WHIP, 572 K, 480.2 IP, 13.5 WAR

A standout late-inning arm throughout his time in the majors, Uehara put together one of the best single-season performances ever for a reliever in 2013. He had a 1.09 ERA, 0.57 WHIP and 12.2 K/9 with 21 saves in 73 appearances during the regular season, then nailed down all seven save opportunities en route to a World Series win, allowing just seven hits and one earned run in 13.2 playoff innings while winning ALCS MVP honors.

7. SP Masahiro Tanaka (2014-20)

173 GS, 78-46, 3.74 ERA (114 ERA+), 1.13 WHIP, 991 K, 1,054.1 IP, 17.3 WAR

Tanaka spent seven seasons in the Yankees rotation, earning a pair of All-Star selections while serving as a reliable starter who pitched at an ace level during multiple stretches. Aside from his strong regular season numbers, he also went 5-4 with a 3.33 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 54 innings over 10 starts in the playoffs. He returned to Japan after the 2020 season, and he is signed with the Yomiuri Giants for the 2025 season.

6. SP Hiroki Kuroda (2008-14)

211 GS, 79-79, 3.45 ERA (115 ERA+), 1.17 WHIP, 986 K, 1,319.0 IP, 20.9 WAR

Kuroda made at least 30 starts and tossed at least 180 innings in six of his seven seasons in the majors, serving as a standout middle-of-the-rotation option for the Dodgers and Yankees after debuting shortly after his 33rd birthday. He had a sub-4.00 ERA every year, and he returned to the Hiroshima Carp in 2015 for two more standout seasons to wrap up his professional career.

Stats: 1,236 G, 118 OPS+, .282/.360/.462, 436 XBH (175 HR), 760 RBI, 13 SB, 21.2 WAR

Accolades: 2x All-Star, 2009 WS MVP

Slugger Hideki Matsui was an established superstar in Japan coming off a 2002 season where he hit .334/.461/.692 with 50 home runs and 107 RBI in 140 games for the Yomiuri Giants when he joined the New York Yankees on a three-year, $21 million deal.

His power production never fully translated to the MLB game, but he was still a standout run producer, reaching 100 RBI in four of his first five seasons and making a pair of All-Star Game appearances.

He had a 123 OPS+ with 140 home runs and 20.4 WAR in seven seasons with the Yankees, and he logged a .933 OPS with 10 home runs and 39 RBI in 56 playoff games in pinstripes, taking home 2009 World Series MVP honors.

Stats: 318 GS, 123-109, 4.24 ERA (97 ERA+), 1.35 WHIP, 1,918 K, 1,976.1 IP, 20.9 WAR

Accolades: 1x All-Star, 1995 NL Rookie of the Year

When Hideo Nomo made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 2, 1995, he was the first Japanese-born player to appear in a MLB game since Masanori Murakami made his final appearance with the San Francisco Giants on Oct. 1, 1965.

With a deceptive windup that every 90s kid imitated in their backyard and a lethal forkball, Nomo took the league by storm as a rookie, going 13-6 with a 2.54 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 236 strikeouts in 191.1 innings while becoming just the fourth rookie ever to start the All-Star Game.

He had another elite-level season in 1996 before settling in as more of a middle-of-the-rotation option for the next decade. He led the league in strikeouts twice and reached 200 punchouts four times in his career.

Stats: 282 GS, 110-88, 3.58 ERA (118 ERA+), 1.14 WHIP, 2,007 K, 1,706.0 IP, 33.1 WAR

Accolades: 5x All-Star

Unlike some of the other notable starting pitchers who made the jump from the Japanese League to Major League Baseball, Yu Darvish made the move when he was just entering the prime of his career, joining the Texas Rangers for his age-25 season.

With a deep arsenal of pitches, Darvish made an immediate splash, earning an All-Star nod in each of his first three seasons stateside while posting a 3.27 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 680 strikeouts in 545.1 innings during that span.

He missed the 2015 season to Tommy John surgery, but returned strong on the other side, and he has continued to pitch like an ace through his 12 seasons in the majors with the Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs and Padres.

Stats: 2,653 G, 107 OPS+, .311/.355/.402, 575 XBH (117 HR), 780 RBI, 509 SB, 60.0 WAR

Accolades: 1x MVP, 10x All-Star, 10x Gold Glove, 3x Silver Slugger

Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese-born position player in MLB history when he joined the Seattle Mariners on a three-year, $14 million deal that was accompanied by a $13 million posting fee.

Few could have predicted just how profound his immediate impact would be.

He hit .350/.381/.457 with 242 hits, 127 runs scored and 56 steals as a rookie in 2001, winning the AL batting title, taking home AL Rookie of the Year honors and becoming just the second player in MLB history to win an MVP award in his debut, all while playing for a Mariners team that won a staggering 116 games.

That was the first of 10 straight seasons where he posted a .300 batting average and tallied 200 hits, including another batting title in 2004 when he set the single-season record with 262 hits.

His success paved the way for an entire generation of Japanese players to make the move to Major League Baseball, and he was unquestionably one of the faces of baseball during the 2000s.

Despite not starting his MLB run until he was 27 years old, he still racked up 3,089 hits over 19 seasons en route to a Hall of Fame career.

DH Stats: 860 G, 157 OPS+, .282/.371/.575, 428 XBH (225 HR), 567 RBI, 145 SB, 28.7 WAR
SP Stats: 86 GS, 38-19, 3.01 ERA (142 ERA+), 1.08 WHIP, 608 K, 481.2 IP, 15.1 WAR

Accolades: 3x MVP, 4x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger, 2018 AL Rookie of the Year

Ichiro Suzuki has the more complete body of work and some huge milestones on his resume, but it's hard to argue with Shohei Ohtani's three MVP awards and his two-way skill set that has made him a true baseball unicorn.

Coming off the first 50/50 season in MLB history and poised to return to the mound after spending 2024 solely as a designated hitter, Ohtani has won three MVP awards in the last four years while breaking through as the most recognizable player in the sport.

He was a 9.2-WAR player in 2024 and helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win a World Series title in the first season of his 10-year contract, leading the NL in OPS+ (190), home runs (54), RBI (130), runs scored (134) and total bases (411).

If he can return to ace-caliber form on the mound alongside his electric offensive game, he will continue to build a potential GOAT resume in Major League Baseball and further solidify his standing in the No. 1 spot on this list.

A spot in Cooperstown awaits once his career comes to a close.