Tsuyoshi Wada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tsuyoshi Wada和田 毅 |
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Wada with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2016.
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| Pitcher | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: February 21, 1981 Kōnan, Aichi, Japan |
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| Professional debut | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NPB: April 1, 2003, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB: July 8, 2014, for the Chicago Cubs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NPB: October 1, 2024, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB: September 4, 2015, for the Chicago Cubs | ||||||||||||||||||||
| NPB statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 160-89 | |||||||||||||||||||
| ERA | 3.18 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 1,901 (Team record) |
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| MLB statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 5–5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Earned run average | 3.36 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 88 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Tsuyoshi Wada (和田 毅, Wada Tsuyoshi, born February 21, 1981) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played most of his career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He also played for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two years.
Wada represented Japan in the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also played in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. During his college years at Waseda University, he set a record for strikeouts in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League. In 2003, he was named the Pacific League Most Valuable Rookie.
Contents
Early Life and High School Baseball
Tsuyoshi Wada was born in Kōnan, Aichi, Japan. He started playing baseball in elementary school. When he was 10, his family moved to Izumo, Shimane.
High School Success
Wada attended Hamada High School. In 1997, during his second year, he led his team to the 79th National High School Baseball Championship. His team lost a close game in the first round.
The next summer, in 1998, Wada's team returned to the national tournament. They won their first two games, reaching the quarter-finals. Even though Wada was the team's best pitcher and a strong hitter, they lost a tough game in extra innings. Despite a previous injury that affected his fastball speed, opponents were impressed by his pitches. Wada is considered part of the "Matsuzaka Generation" of players born around 1980 who played in the 1998 Summer Championship.
College Baseball Career
After high school, Wada went to Waseda University. He started playing in his first year, and quickly improved his pitching. By his second year, he was a main starting pitcher.
Setting Records in College
In his senior year (2002), Wada wore uniform number 18, a special number for the team's best left-handed pitcher. He helped Waseda win two Tokyo Big6 league titles. This was the first time the university had won back-to-back titles since 1950. He also won the league's Best Nine Award twice that year.
Wada set a new Tokyo Big6 record for career strikeouts, finishing with 476. He also set a new Waseda record for wins by a left-handed pitcher, with a 27–13 record and a 1.35 ERA. His hard work inspired younger players who later became professionals. Because of his impressive college career, Wada was a highly desired player. The Fukuoka Daiei Hawks signed him before the 2002 NPB draft.
Professional Baseball Journey
Starting with the Fukuoka Hawks (2003–2011)
Rookie Year Success (2003)
Wada joined the Hawks' starting rotation right away in 2003. He made his professional debut on April 1. He earned his first win on April 8 and his first complete game shutout on April 16. He finished his rookie year with a 14–5 record, a 3.38 ERA, and 195 strikeouts. He was named the Pacific League Most Valuable Rookie. Wada also helped the Hawks win the league title and the Japan Series championship. He pitched a complete game win in Game 7 of the Japan Series, a first for a rookie. In November, he helped the Japanese national team qualify for the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Olympic Games and Early Career (2004–2007)
Wada played in the 2004 Athens Olympics, helping Japan win a bronze medal. He earned two wins against Canada. In the regular season, he had a 10–6 record. In 2005, he became the Hawks' opening day starter. He finished the year with a 12–8 record and a better 3.27 ERA. He was the first Hawks pitcher since 1960 to have double-digit wins in his first three seasons.
In 2006, Wada played in the first World Baseball Classic for Japan, which they won. He pitched two shutout innings in his only appearance. In the regular season, he had a great year with a 14–6 record and a career-best 2.98 ERA. His wife, Kasumi, gave birth to their daughter that year. In 2007, his ERA improved to 2.82, but he had less run support, finishing 12–10. He had surgery on his left elbow during the off-season.
Injuries and Comebacks (2008–2011)
Due to elbow surgery, Wada's 2008 season started later. He was selected for the 2008 Beijing Olympics but did not pitch as well as he hoped. After returning to Japan, he pitched very well but often lacked run support from his team. He did not reach double-digit wins for the first time in his career.
In 2009, Wada was considered for the World Baseball Classic team but was not selected. He started the season strong, tying an NPB record with 14 strikeouts in a complete game shutout. However, he faced more injury trouble with left elbow inflammation and missed much of the season. He finished 2009 with a 4–5 record.
In 2010, Wada had an excellent season. He struck out a career-high 15 batters in one game. He won all five of his starts during interleague play. He was selected for the All-Star Series and was named the Pacific League MVP for 2010, helping the Hawks win the league title. In 2011, Wada and the Hawks defeated the Chunichi Dragons to win the 2011 Japan Series.
Playing in Major League Baseball (2012–2015)
In December 2011, Wada signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles. However, he needed Tommy John surgery in May 2012 for a torn ligament in his left elbow. He spent the rest of 2012 and part of 2013 recovering.
In 2014, Wada signed a minor-league contract with the Chicago Cubs. He was called up to the Cubs on July 8. In 2014, Wada had a 4–4 record with a 3.25 ERA. His best game was on August 24, when he pitched almost a no-hitter against the Baltimore Orioles. The Cubs won, and Wada earned the win. He signed a new contract with the Cubs for 2015. He made seven starts in 2015 before a shoulder injury. He returned later in the season, pitching from the bullpen.
Return to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2016–2024)
Continued Success (2016–2017)
Wada returned to Japan and signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks for the 2016 season. He had a great year, finishing with a 15–5 record, a 3.04 ERA, and 157 strikeouts in 163 innings. He led the Pacific League in wins and winning percentage.
In 2017, Wada had left elbow surgery in May but returned in August. On August 27, he recorded his 1,500th career strikeout. He finished the season with a 4–0 record and a 2.49 ERA. He started a game in the 2017 Japan Series on November 1.
Later Career and Records (2018–2024)
Wada spent 2018 recovering from left shoulder pain. In 2019, he made a comeback on June 5. He finished the season with a 4–4 record. On October 23, he started a game in the 2019 Japan Series and won, his first Japan Series win since his rookie year in 2003.
In 2020, Wada became the oldest pitcher in NPB history to win a League Championship game at 39 years old. He finished the regular season with an 8–1 record and a 2.94 ERA. He helped the Hawks win their fourth consecutive 2020 Japan Series championship.
In 2021, Wada pitched to a 4.48 ERA with 83 strikeouts in 18 games. In 2022, he broke Tadashi Sugiura's record for most strikeouts by a Hawks pitcher, reaching 1,756. He also earned his 150th career win in NPB. He finished the season with a 7–4 record and a 2.78 ERA.
In 2023, Wada became the oldest pitcher in Hawks history to record a win at 42 years and 1 month old. He also participated in the All-Star Game for the sixth time, setting a new Pacific League record as the oldest player to play at 42 years and 4 months. He finished the season with an 8–6 record and a 3.24 ERA.
In 2024, Wada faced injuries, pitching in eight games with a 2-2 record. He returned as a reliever late in the season but a leg injury kept him out of the postseason. Tsuyoshi Wada announced his retirement on November 5, 2024. At the time, he was the last active player who had played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks.
Pitching Style
Wada is a left-handed pitcher who stands 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has a unique pitching style. He throws with an overhand arm motion, but he hides his throwing arm for a moment, which makes it harder for hitters to see the ball coming.
His four-seam fastball isn't super fast, usually around 88-89 mph, but it has good movement. He makes up for the speed with his deceptive delivery. He also throws a good slider, an occasional curveball, and a changeup.
Wada generally has good control of his pitches. Early in his career, he sometimes gave up more home runs, but he improved a lot in this area over time.
Images for kids
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Wada with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2016.
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Wada's first stint with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2009.
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Wada pitching for the Chicago Cubs in 2015.
