Masahiro Tanaka facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Masahiro Tanaka田中 将大 |
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Tanaka with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
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| Yomiuri Giants – No. 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: November 1, 1988 Itami, Hyōgo, Japan |
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| 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) |
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| Win–loss record | 119–68 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 2.67 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 1,572 | |||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2020 season) |
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| Win–loss record | 78–46 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.74 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 991 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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| Masahiro Tanaka | |||||
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| Japanese name | |||||
| Kanji | 田中 将大 | ||||
| Hiragana | たなか まさひろ | ||||
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Masahiro Tanaka (田中 将大, Tanaka Masahiro, born November 1, 1988) is a famous Japanese professional baseball pitcher. He plays for the Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He also played for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan and the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States.
Tanaka played for the Eagles from 2007 to 2013. After the 2013 season, he moved to the New York Yankees in MLB. He signed a big seven-year contract. He played for the Yankees until 2020, then decided to return to Japan. Tanaka mentioned that he wanted to ensure his family's safety and comfort, which influenced his decision to move back to Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tanaka was the Eagles' first pick in the 2006 NPB draft. From 2012 to 2013, he won 26 games in a row, setting a new NPB record. In MLB, Tanaka was the Yankees' Opening Day starting pitcher for four seasons. He was also chosen as an All-Star twice.
Contents
Early Life & Baseball Beginnings
Masahiro Tanaka was born in Itami, a city in Hyōgo, Japan. He started playing baseball in the first grade. He played as a catcher for a Little League team called the Koyanosato Tigers. His teammate was Hayato Sakamoto, who is now a famous shortstop for the Yomiuri Giants.
In middle school, Tanaka played for the Takarazuka Boys. He was both a pitcher and a catcher because he had a very strong throwing arm. In his last year of junior high, he was chosen for the Junior All-South Kansai team.
High School Baseball Career
Becoming a Star Pitcher
Tanaka went to Komazawa University Tomakomai High School in Hokkaidō. There, he focused only on pitching. He threw a fast fastball and a hard slider. In his second year (like 11th grade), he led his team to win the 87th National High School Baseball tournament at Koshien Stadium. His final pitch in that tournament was recorded at 150 km/h (about 93 mph). This was the fastest pitch ever thrown by a junior in the tournament's history.
After this, Tanaka was chosen to play for the Japanese team in the IBAF AAA World Junior Championships. He helped his team win the title.
Ace of the Team
In his final year, Tanaka became the team's main pitcher, wearing uniform number 1. He led Tomakomai High to another regional title and a championship in the Meiji Jingu Tournament. He even hit home runs in four games in a row!
His team was expected to win the 78th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament. However, they had to pull out because of some issues with other players.
Summer 2006 Tournament
In the summer of 2006, Tomakomai High made it to the 88th National High School Baseball Championship. Tanaka led them to the tournament finals for the third time in a row. He was not feeling well before the tournament.
In the finals against Waseda Jitsugyo High School, Tanaka started the game on the bench. His coach wanted him to rest because he had pitched so many innings in earlier games. But Tanaka came in to pitch in the third inning. He pitched very well, but the game ended in a 1–1 tie after 15 innings. This meant they had to play a rematch the next day! It was the first time in 37 years that the tournament finals needed a rematch.
In the rematch, Tanaka pitched again, but Tomakomai High lost. The pitching battle between Tanaka and Waseda's ace, Yuki Saito, was one of the most exciting moments in Japanese sports that year. Even though Tanaka was sick, he threw 742 pitches in the tournament.
High School Achievements
During his high school career (2004–2006), Tanaka struck out 458 batters. This broke the national high school record. He also hit 13 home runs in those three years.
After high school, many professional teams wanted to draft Tanaka. Four teams chose him in the first round of the 2006 NPB draft. The Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles won the right to sign him. They gave him a large contract and the uniform number 18, which is usually given to a team's best pitcher in Japan.
Professional Baseball Career
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (First Time)
Rookie Season (2007)
Tanaka started his professional career with the Eagles in 2007. He made his first start on March 29. On April 18, he earned his first professional win. He became the first pitcher since Yu Darvish to throw a complete-game shutout as a rookie from high school.
Tanaka was chosen to start the NPB All-Star Game as a rookie, which was a big honor. He finished his first year with 11 wins and 7 losses. His 196 strikeouts were the second-most in the league. He was named the Pacific League Most Valuable Rookie.
Record-Breaking Season (2013)
In 2013, Tanaka had an amazing season. On September 13, he set a new NPB record with his 21st win in a row that season. This streak included his last four starts from 2012, making it 25 wins in a row! This was even longer than the MLB record of 24 consecutive wins.
On September 26, Tanaka helped the Eagles win their first Pacific League title. He finished the regular season with an incredible 24 wins and 0 losses, and a very low 1.27 ERA. He was the second pitcher in NPB history to have an undefeated season.
Tanaka won his second Sawamura Award, which is like the Cy Young Award in MLB. The Golden Eagles went on to win their first Japan Series title. Including postseason games, his 2013 record was 30 wins and only 1 loss. He even got the save in the final game of the Japan Series to win the championship.
New York Yankees
After his incredible 2013 season, many MLB teams wanted Tanaka. He signed a seven-year contract worth $155 million with the New York Yankees on January 22, 2014. This was one of the biggest deals ever for a pitcher at that time.
MLB Debut (2014)
Tanaka made his MLB debut on April 4, 2014. He got his first MLB win in that game. On May 14, he pitched his first complete game in the majors, shutting out the New York Mets. He started his American career with 11 wins and only 1 loss in his first 14 starts. He was chosen for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a rookie.
In July, Tanaka had some discomfort in his right arm. He was placed on the disabled list due to elbow inflammation. An MRI showed a partially torn UCL. Instead of surgery, he chose to rest and rehab his elbow. He returned in September and finished his first MLB season with 13 wins and 5 losses.
Key Seasons (2015-2017)
Tanaka was the Yankees' Opening Day starter in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, he had a career-best season, making 31 starts and avoiding any injuries. He finished the year with 14 wins and 4 losses, a 3.07 ERA, and 165 strikeouts. He was one of the best pitchers in the American League.
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In 2017, Tanaka was named the Opening Day starter for the third year in a row. He had some struggles early in the season. However, he pitched a complete-game shutout against the Boston Red Sox on April 27. This was his second career shutout. He also set a new career-high by striking out 14 batters in a game in July. He finished 2017 with 13 wins and 12 losses.
In the postseason, Tanaka was excellent. He pitched seven shutout innings against the Cleveland Indians in the Division Series. He also pitched seven shutout innings against the Houston Astros in the Championship Series, helping the Yankees win a key game. After the season, Tanaka decided to stay with the Yankees for the rest of his contract.
Later Years with Yankees (2018-2020)
In 2018, Tanaka continued to be a strong pitcher for the Yankees. He pitched a complete-game shutout against the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 2019, Tanaka made his fourth Opening Day start, setting a record for Japanese pitchers. He threw another complete-game shutout against the Rays in June. He was also named an MLB All-Star for the second time. After the season, he had elbow surgery to remove bone spurs.
In 2020, the baseball season was shorter due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tanaka was hit in the head by a line drive during practice but recovered quickly. He finished the year with 3 wins and 3 losses.
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Second Time)
After the 2020 season, Tanaka decided to leave MLB and return to Japan. He signed a two-year contract to play for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles again in 2021. This deal made him the highest-paid player in NPB history. He wore his old uniform number 18.
He re-signed with the Eagles for 2023. After the 2024 season, Tanaka and the Eagles decided to part ways.
Yomiuri Giants
On December 15, 2024, Tanaka signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.
International Baseball Career
Olympic Games & World Baseball Classic
Tanaka has represented Japan in several international competitions. He was the youngest Japanese professional baseball player to play in the Olympics in Beijing. He pitched well in limited appearances.
He also played for Japan in the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He helped Japan win their second championship in that tournament. Tanaka was also part of the Japanese team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Pitching Style
Masahiro Tanaka is a right-handed pitcher. He throws his pitches with a strong overhand motion. He uses two types of fastballs, usually around 90-93 mph. His best pitch is often his splitter, which drops sharply. He also throws a good slider and sometimes a curveball. In MLB, he added a cutter to his pitches.
Tanaka is known for his excellent control. This means he rarely walks batters (gives them a free base). He has a very good strikeout-to-walk ratio, showing how precise his pitching is.
Nickname
Fans and the media often call Tanaka "Mā-kun" (マー君). This nickname became popular after he and another player, Yuki Saito, mentioned it during a high school baseball tournament. Even his former manager, Katsuya Nomura, used the nickname in interviews. When he played for the Yankees, he sometimes wore "Masa" on his jersey during special Players Weekend games.
Personal Life
Tanaka is a big fan of Momoiro Clover Z, a popular Japanese idol group. He has gone to their concerts many times. When he practices, he wears special multicolored gloves that match the five colors of the Momoiro Clover Z members. He even has gloves with a clover leaf on them for official games.
He uses the group's songs as his "warm-up song" when he comes out to pitch. When he joined the Yankees, Momoiro Clover Z even made a special song for him called "My Dear Fellow." This song was played when he first pitched at Yankee Stadium.
Tanaka is married to Mai Satoda, who was also a member of an idol group. They got married in Hawaii in December 2012. They have a son, who was born in February 2016.
Images for kids
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Tanaka with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
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Scoreboard at Koshien Stadium during the finals rematch
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Tanaka pitching for Tomakomai High in 2006
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Tanaka pitching for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2007
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Tanaka pitching for the Yankees in 2014
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Tanaka pitching for the Yankees in 2015
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Tanaka pitching in April, 2017
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Tanaka's practice gloves reflect five signature colors of Momoiro Clover Z members.
