From Hideki Matsui to Masahiro Tanaka, Japanese Players Who Thrived with the Yankees

The first time a Japanese player stepped foot into MLB was back in 1964 when NPB’s Nankai Hawks sent three of their prospects to minor leagues in the States. The relationship between NPB and MLB started off rocky and remained that way for decades, before a posting system ultimately came into play. While several teams boast star players from the Land of the Rising Sun, it was the New York Yankees who changed the history of baseball.

From yesteryear’s Hideki Matsui to more recent Masahiro Tanaka, numerous names from Sakura Land have worn Pinstripes. This brings a certain question to mind: which Yankees have their roots back in Japan, and who are the most noteworthy ones among them?

New York Yankees: One of the favorite destinations for the Samurais

The Yankees have always been favored by the baseball stars of Nippon for their gregarious behavior towards their players and the team’s unrivaled fame. Some of the ones who joined, like Hideki Matsui, Ichiro Suzuki, Hiroki Kuroda, and recently, Masahiro Tanaka, left a mark so deep in the Pinstripes’ Nation that it still resonates with fans.

Players like Ryota Igarashi, Kei Igawa, and Hideki Irabu had a temporary career stint with the Yankees. Interestingly, Irabu was the first player to start the trend of the Yankees drafting Japanese players.

Hideki Irabu: The star baseball player who paved the way for others to live their New York Yankees dream

Irabu was the first in the Bronx. The now-departed player was welcomed with open arms by the Yankees’ fanbase back in 1997 upon his debut with the team.

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Before being traded to the Expos by the Bronx in 1999, Irabu posted an ERA of 4.80 in the three seasons he played for them. The torch of the legacy he once initiated was well carried onto this decade by none other than one of the longest-tenured members of the Yankees, Masahiro “Mā-kun” Tanaka!

The legacy of Masahiro Tanaka: Seven Years as one of the best Yankees

Tanaka had a royal entrance in the Yankees clubhouse when he arrived on a Boeing Dreamliner back in 2014, holding an offer of $175 million received from the team. The rest, as they say, is history.

The ace might not have led the Yankees to a monumental win, but his efficacious stay on the team changed the history of the Yanks. When he started playing, Tanaka broke all expectations of him crumbling under the stress of playing for such a distinctive team. Instead, he seemed to thrive under the spotlight.

In his seven-year stay in the Pinstripes’ bullpen, the Gold Glove Awardee All-Star pitcher struck out batters a baffling 991 times, with 4 complete shutouts across 1054.1 innings pitched. The Yankees had to let him go in 2020.

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It doesn’t need to be said that had Tanaka stayed on the team, their history might have seen a different turn by now. Maybe it could’ve been similar to the one they saw while having another legend on the field.

The Era of Godzilla: A look at the MLB journey of Hideki Matsui

Matsui arrived at the MLB scene in 2003 with one goal in mind: to be a World Champion for the Yanks. Infamous for his dynamic hitting style, the nine-time All-Star senshu from Japan was given the nickname Godzilla for the terrifying speed that the balls flew at when they hit his bats.

Two-time All-Star Matsui scored a combined OPS+ of 123, hitting .292 with 140 homers and 597 RBIs during his Bronx tenure. It was the Golden Age of the Yankees, which fit his fiery yet kind and cordial persona very well.

The player reached new heights of fame upon his World Series MVP win in his last year with the Yanks in 2009—the same year on which he departed from the team after making his World Series-winning dream come true. The Pinstripes had to wait for three years before they saw the face of their next Japanese legend, Ichiro Suzuki.

The Forever Yankee: Ichiro Suzuki

Suzuki saw the illustrious beginning of his Yankees tenure when he hit his 4000th hit back in 2013, only a year after being involved under the team’s banner. The slugger won ten Gold Gloves and was named an All-Star ten times before his Yankees stint. Suzuki received something from the team that he had never had before.

Read More: WATCH: 50YO Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki Shows He Still Has Power as a Destructive Swing Leaves Fans in Awe

The New York Yankees, unfortunately, never gave Suzuki a chance to play for a World Series title—something he hadn’t been able to do since his MLB initiation back in 2001. He did get to the playoffs, another thing Seattle had been unable to do, but Suzuki took his leave from the Bronx in 2014. Teammate Hiroki Kuroda, who also took his leave that year, is similarly remembered by the Yanks for leaving an Irabu-like legacy behind.

Hiroki Kuroda: Who repeated the success of Irabu

Kuroda’s short-lived two-year stay in the New York Yankees’ clubhouse was impactful, to say the least. One of the biggest MLB stars of recent times, Shohei Ohtani, seeks inspiration from Kuroda’s playstyle.

“He took moments on the mound and the track of his pitches were things I studied from him at the plate,” the two-way phenom told the Japan Times, reflecting on Matsui’s high velocity and versatile pitching style, much like Irabu. However, one cannot win every time, and such was the case for the Yanks when they dealt with Sluggers Igawa and Igarashi.

The Lost Gems: Kei Igawa and Ryota Igarashi

The Pinstripes made an impulsive choice as a reply to the Red Sox’s drafting of Daisuke Matsuzaka when they took in ace Kei Igawa for a high posting fee of $26 million back in 2007 despite him having a disappointing history.

It backfired on the Yanks at a level that made them demote him to Triple-A in hopes of rebuilding his playing form. They finally let him go next year.

A similar stint happened with Ryota Igarashi, who was drafted by the Yankees in 2012, even after having an average record back in Japan. The team demoted him to the Triple-A twice for various reasons, until he finally chose free agency for minor leagues.

With superstars like Yoshinobu Yamamoto reigning in the free agency market right now, the Pinstripes once again have the chance to clinch another legendary Japanese for their dugout.