Masahiro Tanaka, Starting Pitcher

Date of Birth: 11/1/1988
Birthplace: Itami, Japan

Masahiro Tanaka, starting pitcher, began playing baseball when he was in first grade in Japan. He started as a catcher and by the time he was in junior high school, he was both a catcher and a pitcher. In high school, he was a top pitcher. In 2007, he started playing in the Japanese professional leagues and he won the Pacific League Rookie of the Year award that season. In 2013, he had a perfect winning record of 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA.

In late 2013, Tanaka became a very sought after player for several US major league teams. He signed a seven-year, $155 million contract with the New York Yankees in January, 2014. He started the 2014 season strong but, unfortunately for Tanaka and the Yankees, he suffered a ligament tear that placed him on the DL for quite some time. He finished the season with a 13-5 record, 141 strikeouts to 21 walks, and a 2.77 ERA in 136.1 innings in 20 games.

Tanaka again spent time on the DL in 2015, this time for forearm and wrist soreness. He finished the season with a 12-7 record, 139 strikeouts to 27 walks, and a 3.51 ERA in 154.0 innings in 24 games. He pitched 5.0 innings in the postseason Wild Card game and he gave up 4 hits and 2 earned runs.

In 2016, Tanaka had a 3.07 ERA in 31 games. He had 14 wins to 4 losses and 165 strikeouts to 36 walks in 199.2 innings.

Tanaka had an up and down season in 2017. He finished the season with 13 wins and 12 losses, a career high 194 strikeouts to 41 walks, and a career high ERA of 4.74 in 178.1 innings in 30 games. He pitched perfectly in the postseason, giving the Yankees 2 wins and 1 loss in 20.0 innings. He had a 0.90 ERA and he gave up 10 hits and 2 runs. He struckout 18 batters and walked just 3.

Tanaka finished the 2018 season with 12 wins and 6 losses, 159 strikeouts to 35 walks, and a 3.75 ERA in 156.0 innings in 27 games. In the postseason, he pitched 5.0 innings in one game and he gave up 3 hits, including one home run, and one run. He struck out 4 batters and walked one. He had one win and no losses and a 1.80 ERA.

Tanaka pitched in 32 games in 2019. He finished the season with 11 wins and 9 losses, 149 strikeouts to 40 walks, and a 4.45 ERA in 182.0 innings. In the postseason, he pitched 16.0 innings in 3 games and he gave up 8 hits, including a home run, and 5 runs. He struck out 12 batters and walked 4, and he had 2 wins and 1 loss and a 2.25 ERA.

Tanaka pitched in 10 games in 2020. He finished the season with 3 wins and 3 losses, 44 strikeouts to 8 walks, and a 3.56 ERA in 48.0 innings. In the postseason, he had a 12.38 ERA in 8.0 innings in 2 games. He gave up 13 hits and 11 runs, and he struck out 7 batters and walked 4.

Tanaka became a free agent on October 28, 2020. He played in Japan in 2021.

Career pitching statistics for Tanaka through 2020 include:

• 174 games played
• 1,054.1 innings pitched
• 78-46 win-loss record
• 991 strikeouts to 208 walks
• 3.74 ERA

Personal Life

Tanaka and his wife Mai were married in March, 2012.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Masahiro Tanaka
ESPN - Masahiro Tanaka