Hisashi Iwakuma

Hisashi Iwakuma 岩隈 久志
Iwakuma with the Seattle Mariners in 2013
Pitcher
Born: (1981-04-12) April 12, 1981 (age 43) Higashiyamato, Tokyo, Japan
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
NPB: May 29, 2001, for the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes
MLB: April 20, 2012, for the Seattle Mariners
Last appearance
MLB: May 3, 2017, for the Seattle Mariners
NPB: 2019, for the Yomiuri Giants
NPB statistics
Win–loss record	107–69
Earned run average	3.25
Strikeouts	1,175
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	63–39
Earned run average	3.42
Strikeouts	714
Teams
Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes (2000–2004) Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2005–2011) Seattle Mariners (2012–2017) Yomiuri Giants (2019)
Career highlights and awards
NPB 3× All-Star (2003, 2004, 2008) Pacific League MVP (2008) Eiji Sawamura Award (2008) 2× Best Nine Award (2004, 2008) 2× Pacific League wins leader (2004, 2008) Pacific League ERA leader (2008) MLB All-Star (2013) Pitched a no-hitter on August 12, 2015
Medals Men's baseball Representing  Japan World Baseball Classic 2009 Los Angeles Team competition Olympic Games 2004 Athens Team competition

Hisashi Iwakuma (岩隈 久志, Iwakuma Hisashi, born April 12, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes from 2000 to 2004, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles from 2005 to 2011, and Yomiuri Giants in 2019, and all of his time in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners from 2012 to 2017. Iwakuma retired in 2020 due to lingering shoulder issues that had prevented him from playing that year.

Iwakuma made his professional debut with the Buffaloes in 2000. He was named a NPB All-Star in 2003 and 2004, and played in the 2004 Athens Olympics. He joined the Eagles in 2005. As the Eagles' reigning staff ace, Iwakuma won the Eiji Sawamura Award in 2008, and was also a NPB All-Star that year. He appeared in the 2009 World Baseball Classic for the Japanese national team.

Iwakuma was posted to Major League Baseball after the 2010 season, but he failed to come to an agreement with the winning bidder. After the 2011 season, Iwakuma signed with the Mariners. He was an MLB All-Star in 2013, as well as the third-place finisher for the 2013 American League Cy Young Award.

On August 12, 2015, Iwakuma became the second Japanese player ever to pitch a no-hitter in Major League Baseball (joining Hideo Nomo, who threw two), throwing a three-walk, seven-strikeout 3–0 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Safeco Field.^[1] It was also his first MLB complete game, and the Mariners' fifth no-hitter in team history.