Masahiro Tanaka

Masahiro Tanaka
Masahiro Tanaka
Japanese name
Kanji	田中将大
Hiragana	たなかまさひろ
Romanization
Transcriptions
Romanization	Tanaka Masahiro

Masahiro Tanaka
田中将大
Masahiro Tanaka; 田中将大
	Tanaka with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles – No. 18
	Pitcher
	Born: November 1, 1988 (age 36); Itami, Hyōgo, Japan
	Bats: Right Throws: Right
Professional debut
	NPB: March 29, 2007, for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
	MLB: April 4, 2014, for the New York Yankees
NPB statistics ; (through 2024 season)
Win–loss record	119–68
Earned run average	2.67
Strikeouts	1,572
MLB statistics ; (through 2020 season)
Win–loss record	78–46
Earned run average	3.74
Strikeouts	991
	Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
	Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2007–2013); New York Yankees (2014–2020); Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2021–present);
Career highlights and awards
	NPB Pacific League Rookie of the Year (2007); Pacific League MVP (2013); 2013 PLCS MVP; 8× NPB All-Star (2007–2009, 2011–2013, 2021, 2023); 2× Eiji Sawamura Award (2011, 2013); 2× NPB wins champion (2011, 2013); 2× NPB ERA champion (2011, 2013); NPB strikeout champion (2012); 2× Best Nine Award (2011, 2013); 3× Golden Glove Award (2011–2013); Japan Series champion (2013); Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize (2013); MLB 2× All-Star (2014, 2019);
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing Japan
Summer Olympics
World Baseball Classic

Masahiro Tanaka (田中将大, Tanaka Masahiro, born November 1, 1988) is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). From 2007 through 2013, he played for the Eagles in NPB. Tanaka was posted by the Eagles after the 2013 season to be signed with the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB) and signed a seven-year, $155 million contract, the fifth-largest deal ever given to a pitcher at the time.^[1] He made his major league debut in 2014 and played for the Yankees through the 2020 season, before deciding to return to Japan. Tanaka has said that he decided to return to Japan partly due to anti-Asian racism in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2]

Tanaka was the Eagles' first-round pick in the 2006 NPB amateur player draft. From 2012 to 2013, he won 26 consecutive decisions, which set a new NPB record.^[3] In MLB, Tanaka was the Yankees' Opening Day starter for four seasons and was twice named an All-Star.

^ "Tanaka and Yankees agree on $155M deal". NY Daily News. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
^ Caldera, Pete (March 29, 2021). "Racial discrimination played a part in former Yankee pitcher's decision to leave the U.S." Herald News - North Jersey.com. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^ Coskrey, Jason (August 16, 2013). "Eagles' Tanaka sets NPB record by winning 21st straight decision". The Japan Times. Retrieved January 22, 2014.

[1] "Tanaka and Yankees agree on $155M deal". NY Daily News. Retrieved July 4, 2017.

[caldera2021-2] Caldera, Pete (March 29, 2021). "Racial discrimination played a part in former Yankee pitcher's decision to leave the U.S." Herald News - North Jersey.com. Retrieved November 1, 2024.

[3] Coskrey, Jason (August 16, 2013). "Eagles' Tanaka sets NPB record by winning 21st straight decision". The Japan Times. Retrieved January 22, 2014.

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