For 70 years, the best players in Japan have tried their luck in America. Some became legends, some barely got a chance — and all of them paved the way for the next one.
The pioneers
Masanori Murakami was the first: a left-handed pitcher who joined the San Francisco Giants in 1954 — seven years before Hideo Nomo's path was even imaginable. Then came the long wait. It took until 1995 for the next Japanese star to arrive, when Hideo Nomo — the "Tornado" with his legendary delivery — debuted for the Los Angeles Dodgers and became the face of Japanese baseball in America.
Ichiro and Matsui
The modern era began in 2001. Ichiro Suzuki — seven-time Pacific League batting champion with the Orix BlueWave — joined the Seattle Mariners and immediately won both the MVP and the Rookie of the Year, racking up 242 hits in his first season. He finished with over 3,000 MLB hits. Two years later, Hideki Matsui — "Godzilla" — brought his prodigious power to the New York Yankees and was named 2009 World Series MVP.
The pitchers
Daisuke Matsuzaka took the "gyroball" to Boston in a record posting deal. Yu Darvish — the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' ace — became a three-time All-Star with the Rangers and Cubs. Kazuhiro Sasaki, Kenta Maeda and many others followed, some thriving and some struggling with injuries and the adjustment to a new league.
Ohtani changes everything
In 2018, Shohei Ohtani arrived from the Fighters — a two-way player who hits home runs and strikes out batters. He won the 2021 AL MVP as a hitter and pitcher, then signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning another MVP in 2023 and a World Series title in 2024. Ohtani proved that a Japanese player could be the best in baseball — not just a curiosity, but the face of the sport.
The current wave
The pipeline is busier than ever. Roki Sasaki — the Chiba Lotte Marines' 101-mph phenom — joined the Dodgers in 2025. Kodai Senga pitches for the Mets, Yuki Matsui for the Padres, Masataka Yoshida for the Red Sox and Seiya Suzuki for the Cubs. The gap between NPB and MLB is smaller than ever — and the world is watching.
The Pacific is no longer a wall. It's a bridge.
How to follow them
Want to track today's NPB stars? Our overseas viewing guide covers how to watch every team from abroad, and our team guides explain where each player comes from.