Kenta Maeda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kenta Maeda |
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Maeda with the Iowa Cubs in 2025
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| Chicago Cubs | |||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: April 11, 1988 Tadaoka, Osaka, Japan |
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| Professional debut | |||
| NPB: April 5, 2008, for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp | |||
| MLB: April 6, 2016, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| NPB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 97–67 | ||
| Earned run average | 2.39 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,233 | ||
| MLB statistics (through April 29, 2025) |
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| Win–loss record | 68–56 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.20 | ||
| Strikeouts | 1,055 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Kenta Maeda (born April 11, 1988) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher. He plays for the Chicago Cubs organization. Maeda has also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, and Detroit Tigers. Before that, he played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.
Maeda started his career with the Carp in 2008. He won the Eiji Sawamura Award twice, in 2010 and 2015. This award is given to the best pitcher in Japanese baseball. After the 2015 season, the Carp allowed Maeda to join MLB teams through a special system. He then signed a contract with the Dodgers. Later, he was traded to the Twins and then signed with the Tigers.
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Playing Baseball Professionally
Starting with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
The Hiroshima Toyo Carp team in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) chose Maeda in the 2006 NPB draft. He played for their minor league team in 2007. In 2008, he joined the main NPB team.
In his first year, 2008, Maeda had a good record of 9 wins and 2 losses. His earned run average (ERA) was 3.20, which is how many runs a pitcher allows per game. He played in 19 games, starting 18 of them. In 2010, he had an even better season with 15 wins and a 2.21 ERA. He also struck out 174 batters.
Maeda was recognized as the league's best pitcher, winning the Sawamura Award in both 2010 and 2015. He was also the youngest pitcher in Japanese baseball to achieve the pitching Triple Crown. This means he led the league in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. After the 2015 season, the Carp allowed him to join Major League Baseball (MLB) teams.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers
On January 7, 2016, Maeda signed an eight-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The contract included bonuses if he played well and started many games. The Dodgers also paid a fee to the Hiroshima Carp for him to join MLB.
Maeda won his first MLB game on April 6, 2016. He pitched six innings without allowing any runs. He also hit his first major league home run in that game! He started 32 games that year, with 16 wins and a 3.48 ERA. He was chosen for the Baseball America all-rookie team. He finished third in the voting for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
2017 Season
In 2017, Maeda started the season as a starting pitcher. Sometimes he pitched from the bullpen as a relief pitcher. He even got his first career save on June 9. A save is when a relief pitcher finishes a game and helps their team win. Overall, he had 13 wins and 6 losses with a 4.22 ERA. He pitched well in the playoffs as a relief pitcher.
2018 Season
Maeda started 2018 as a starting pitcher again. He had 6 wins and 7 losses with a 3.85 ERA. He also struck out many batters. Later in the season, he moved to the bullpen and pitched as a reliever. He finished the season with 8 wins and 10 losses. He struck out 153 batters.
2019 Season
In 2019, Maeda was mostly a starting pitcher for the Dodgers. He also pitched from the bullpen sometimes. He ended the season with 10 wins and 8 losses. He had a 4.04 ERA and struck out 169 batters.
Playing for the Minnesota Twins
On February 10, 2020, the Dodgers traded Maeda to the Minnesota Twins.
Maeda made his Twins debut on July 25, 2020. On August 12, he earned his 50th win in MLB.
On August 18, Maeda almost pitched a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers. This means he didn't allow any hits for almost the entire game! He struck out 12 batters. The no-hitter was broken in the 9th inning.
In the 2020 season, he had 6 wins and 1 loss with a great 2.70 ERA. He also led the major leagues in WHIP (0.750), which measures how many batters reach base per inning. He finished second for the 2020 American League Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher. In 2021, Maeda had 6 wins and 5 losses. On September 1, 2021, he had Tommy John surgery, a common surgery for pitchers, and missed the entire 2022 season.
Maeda returned to pitch for the Twins in 2023. He finished the season with 6 wins and 8 losses, a 4.23 ERA, and 117 strikeouts.
Playing for the Detroit Tigers
On November 28, 2023, Maeda signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. He had a tough start in 2024, so the Tigers moved him to the bullpen. He pitched better as a reliever. Overall, he finished the 2024 season with 3 wins and 7 losses.
In 2025, Maeda started the season in the Tigers' bullpen. He pitched in seven games but struggled. The Tigers decided to release him from the team on May 7, 2025.
Joining the Chicago Cubs
On May 16, 2025, Maeda signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs to play in their minor league system.
Playing for Japan
Maeda has played for the Japanese national baseball team several times. He played in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series, and the 2015 WBSC Premier12 tournament.
In the 2013 World Baseball Classic, he pitched very well. He had 2 wins and 0 losses with a 0.00 ERA. He allowed only two hits and struck out 15 batters in 10 innings. He was chosen for the all-tournament team.
He also pitched well in the 2015 WBSC Premier12 tournament. On October 29, 2018, he was selected to play in the MLB All-Stars at the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.
How Kenta Maeda Pitches
Maeda is a right-handed pitcher who is 6 feet, 1 inch tall and weighs 185 pounds. He throws the ball with a special motion. His main pitches include a fastball that goes around 90 miles per hour. He also throws an excellent slider and a good changeup. These different pitches help him trick batters.
Personal Life
Maeda lives in Tokyo, Japan, with his wife, Saho, and their daughter and son. He is a fan of the reality TV show Terrace House. He even appeared as a guest commentator on one of the show's episodes.
See also
In Spanish: Kenta Maeda para niños
- List of Major League Baseball players from Japan
