List of Major League Baseball players from Japan

A total of 74 Japanese-bornThis list does not include players that were born in Japan to non-Japanese parents or players with Japanese ancestry who grew up abroad (such as Lars Nootbaar, Steven Kwan, Gosuke Katoh, Keston Hiura, Kurt Suzuki, Dave Roberts, Micheal Nakamura and Jung-hoo Lee). players have played in at least one Major League Baseball (MLB) game. Of these players, twelve are on existing MLB rosters. The first instance of a Japanese player playing in MLB occurred in 1964, when the Nankai Hawks, a Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) team, sent three exchange prospects to the United States to gain experience in MLB's minor league system. One of the players, pitcher Masanori Murakami, was named the California League Rookie of the Year while playing for the Fresno Giants (the San Francisco Giants' Class-A team). Giants executives were impressed with his talent and on September 1, 1964, Murakami was promoted, thus becoming the first Japanese player to play in MLB, as well as being the first Asian player. After Murakami put up good pitching statistics as a reliever, Giants executives sought to exercise a clause in their contract with the Hawks that, they claimed, allowed them to buy up an exchange prospect's contract. NPB officials objected, stating that they had no intention of selling Murakami's contract to the Giants and telling them that Murakami was merely on loan for the 1964 season. After a two-month stalemate the Giants eventually agreed to send Murakami back to the Hawks after the 1965 season. This affair led to the 1967 United States – Japanese Player Contract Agreement, also known as the "Working Agreement", between MLB and NPB, which was basically a hands-off policy.Whiting 2004, pp. 75–80

For thirty years Murakami was the only Japanese player to appear in an MLB game. Pitcher Hideo Nomo, with the help of agent Don Nomura, became the second Japanese player to play in MLB in 1995. Nomo, who was not yet eligible for free agency in Japan, was advised by Nomura that a "voluntary retirement" clause in the Working Agreement did not specify that a player wishing to play again after retiring must return to NPB. Nomo utilized this loophole to void his NPB contract with the Kintetsu Buffaloes and play in MLB. He announced his retirement from NPB in late 1994 and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers in February 1995.Whiting 2004, pp. 102–112 Nomo's maneuver and Hideki Irabu's later MLB contractual complications were contributing factors to a major revision of the Working Agreement in 1998 that created the posting system. Since its inception 22 Japanese players have been signed through the system, however one of these players, Shinji Mori, did not play in a single MLB game due to an injury. NPB players who have nine or more years of playing service with NPB can become international free agents and do not need to enter MLB through the posting system. The remaining Japanese players that have played in MLB have either signed as free agents or signed as amateur players. Mac Suzuki, Kazuhito Tadano, and Junichi Tazawa are the only Japanese players to have debuted in MLB without previously playing in NPB. All 30 MLB teams have had at least one Japanese player on their roster.

Japanese players have had a range of success in MLB. Twelve players have been selected to participate in the All-Star Game; Ichiro Suzuki has made the most appearances with ten. In addition to these selections, Ichiro has won several prestigious MLB awards including the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year Award and the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 2001, the All-Star Game MVP Award in 2007 and multiple Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Awards. Ichiro also holds the MLB record for recording the most hits in a single season. Hideo Nomo was the only Japanese pitcher to throw a no-hitter until Hisashi Iwakuma accomplished the feat on August 12, 2015. Nomo threw two in total; the first came in 1996 and the last occurred in 2001. Hideki Matsui holds the MLB record for most consecutive games played to start a career in the league (518 games) and has the most seasons with 100+ runs batted in (4) among Japanese and all Asian-born players (2003-2005, 2007).

Currently, Shohei Ohtani is the only player in MLB history to win the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award twice unanimously in 2021 and 2023, the first player in MLB history with 10 wins and 40 home runs in a season, and the first player in MLB history to be named to both first teams for the 2023 All-MLB Team in the same season (as a designated hitter and starting pitcher respectively). Ohtani is also the first Japanese-born player to hit for the cycle, the first Japanese-born player to win a major league home run title, leading the American League with 44 home runs, the first Japanese-born player to win the AL Hank Aaron Award, and the first Japanese player to have the most popular Major League Baseball jersey sales. In addition, Ohtani has also won the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2018, the National League (NL) Championship Series MVP Award in 2025, four Silver Slugger Awards, and four Edgar Martínez Outstanding Designated Hitter Awards. In 2023, Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, the largest contract in professional sports history at the time, while Yoshinobu Yamamoto received the highest guaranteed salary ever given to a pitcher, signing a 12-year, $325 million contract with the Dodgers. In 2024, Ohtani was unanimously named the NL MVP after becoming the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.

13 Japanese players have appeared in the World Series. Out of these players, So Taguchi, Ohtani, and Yamamoto have won the most with two each. Hideki Matsui and Yamamoto are the only Japanese players to win the World Series MVP Award. The 2007 World Series featured the most Japanese players, with Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima pitching for the Boston Red Sox, and Kazuo Matsui playing for the Colorado Rockies. This was later tied in the 2025 World Series with Ohtani, Roki Sasaki, and Yamamoto all playing for the Dodgers.

Table key + Key to symbols in player tableSigned with a Major League Baseball team via the posting systemSigned with a Major League Baseball team without first playing for a Nippon Professional Baseball teamInducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of FameInducted into both the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Current players

+ Players from Japan active within Major League Baseball Player Position MLB debut Games Team(s) Status Notes * SP 297 Texas Rangers (2012–2017)Los Angeles Dodgers (2017)Chicago Cubs (2018–2020)San Diego Padres (2021–2025) Restricted * TWP 1,137 Los Angeles Angels (2018–2023)Los Angeles Dodgers (2024–present) Active * SP 206 Seattle Mariners (2019–2021)Toronto Blue Jays (2022–2024)Houston Astros (2024)Los Angeles Angels (2025–present) 60-day IL * RF 625 Chicago Cubs (2022–present) Active * LF 378 Boston Red Sox (2023–present) Active SP 65 New York Mets (2023–present) Active * SP 67 Los Angeles Dodgers (2024–present) Active RP 156 San Diego Padres (2024–present) Active * SP 76 Chicago Cubs (2024–present) Active * SP 29 Los Angeles Dodgers (2025–present) Active SP 49 Baltimore Orioles (2025)Colorado Rockies (2026–present) Active * IF 74 Chicago White Sox (2026–present) Active * IF 107 Toronto Blue Jays (2026–present) Active * SP 15 Houston Astros (2026–present) Active § OF 12 Chicago White Sox (2026–present) Minors

Former players

+ Players from Japan that formerly appeared on Major League Baseball rosters Player Position MLB debut Final MLB game Games Former MLB Team(s) Notes P 54 San Francisco Giants (1964–1965) P 324 Los Angeles Dodgers (1995–1998, 2002–2004)New York Mets (1998)Milwaukee Brewers (1999)Detroit Tigers (2000)Boston Red Sox (2001)Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2005)Kansas City Royals (2008) § P 117 Seattle Mariners (1996, 1998–1999)Kansas City Royals (1999–2001, 2002)Colorado Rockies (2001)Milwaukee Brewers (2001) P 517 Anaheim Angels (1997–2001)Seattle Mariners (2002–2005) P 35 New York Mets (1997) P 126 New York Yankees (1997–1999)Montreal Expos (2000–2001)Texas Rangers (2002) P 162 New York Mets (1998–1999)Colorado Rockies (2000)Montreal Expos (2001–2002) P 65 Detroit Tigers (1999–2000)Los Angeles Dodgers (2003–2004)Seattle Mariners (2004–2005) P 204 Boston Red Sox (1999–2001)Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals (2001–2005)Milwaukee Brewers (2005–2006)Toronto Blue Jays (2007)Cleveland Indians (2009) P 228 Seattle Mariners (2000–2003) *OF 2,653 Seattle Mariners (2001–2012, 2018–2019)New York Yankees (2012–2014)Miami Marlins (2015–2017) OF 303 New York Mets (2001, 2003)San Francisco Giants (2002) P 21 Milwaukee Brewers (2002) P 25 New York Mets (2002) * P 105 Los Angeles Dodgers (2002–2004)New York Mets (2005) OF 672 St. Louis Cardinals (2002–2007)Philadelphia Phillies (2008)Chicago Cubs (2009) OF 1,236 New York Yankees (2003–2009)Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2010)Oakland Athletics (2011)Tampa Bay Rays (2012) IF 630 New York Mets (2004–2006)Colorado Rockies (2006–2007)Houston Astros (2008–2010) * P 236 San Diego Padres (2004–2005)Texas Rangers (2006–2007) P 99 Chicago White Sox (2004–2005)New York Mets (2005) § P 15 Cleveland Indians (2004–2005) IF 493 Chicago White Sox (2005–2007)Philadelphia Phillies (2007, 2008)San Diego Padres (2008) P 100 Oakland Athletics (2005)San Francisco Giants (2008) * IF 17 Los Angeles Dodgers (2005) C 462 Seattle Mariners (2006–2009) P 338 Los Angeles Dodgers (2006–2008)Boston Red Sox (2009)Atlanta Braves (2010)Milwaukee Brewers (2011)Arizona Diamondbacks (2012) * IF 408 Tampa Bay Devil Rays/Rays (2007–2009)Pittsburgh Pirates (2010)Oakland Athletics (2010) P 266 Boston Red Sox (2007–2011)Oakland Athletics (2013) * P 158 Boston Red Sox (2007–2012)New York Mets (2013–2014) * P 16 New York Yankees (2007–2008) P 19 Pittsburgh Pirates (2007) OF 596 Chicago Cubs (2008–2011)Cleveland Indians (2011)Chicago White Sox (2012) P 4 Texas Rangers (2008) P 67 Cleveland Indians (2008–2009) P 212 Los Angeles Dodgers (2008–2011)New York Yankees (2012–2014) P 43 Kansas City Royals (2008–2009) P 436 Baltimore Orioles (2009–2011)Texas Rangers (2011–2012)Boston Red Sox (2013–2016)Chicago Cubs (2017) P 52 Atlanta Braves (2009–2010) P 28 New York Mets (2009) § P 388 Boston Red Sox (2009–2016)Miami Marlins (2017–2018)Los Angeles Angels (2018) P 168 New York Mets (2010)Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2011–2012)Pittsburgh Pirates (2012)Chicago Cubs (2013) P 83 New York Mets (2010–2011)Toronto Blue Jays (2012)New York Yankees (2012) * IF 71 Minnesota Twins (2011–2012) P 53 Texas Rangers (2011–2012) * OF 759 Milwaukee Brewers (2012–2013)Kansas City Royals (2014)San Francisco Giants (2015)Seattle Mariners (2016)Houston Astros (2017)Toronto Blue Jays (2017)New York Mets (2017) IF 276 Seattle Mariners (2012)Toronto Blue Jays (2013–2015)Chicago Cubs (2016) P 150 Seattle Mariners (2012–2017) P 29 Chicago Cubs (2013–2014)Texas Rangers (2015) OF 15 San Francisco Giants (2013) * P 174 New York Yankees (2014–2020) P 21 Chicago Cubs (2014–2015) P 1 Cleveland Indians (2015) * SP 226 Los Angeles Dodgers (2016–2019)Minnesota Twins (2020–2023)Detroit Tigers (2024–2025) P 150 Arizona Diamondbacks (2018–2019)Seattle Mariners (2020) * P 27 San Diego Padres (2018) * IF 182 Tampa Bay Rays (2020–2021)Los Angeles Dodgers (2021)Pittsburgh Pirates (2021–2022) OF 142 Cincinnati Reds (2020–2021) * P 17 Toronto Blue Jays (2020) P 104 Boston Red Sox (2021–2022) * P 15 Texas Rangers (2021–2022) * RP 64 Oakland Athletics (2023)Baltimore Orioles (2023) * RP 2 Boston Red Sox (2024) * SP 23 Washington Nationals (2025)

Awards, records and notable accomplishments

Baseball Hall of Fame Ichiro Suzuki, inducted in the class of 2025

Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame

Ichiro Suzuki, inducted on August 27, 2022.

Awards and accolades Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award: Ichiro Suzuki, 2005; Shohei Ohtani, 2021