Top 10 Best Japanese Players EVER To Play In The MLB

[@ryanl.3586]

Japanese or no, Ichiro is arguably one of the best players to ever play the game.

[@codeblueopinions2908]

My favorite player ever, he’s like a Monk that played baseball or something

[@grechan]

@@codeblueopinions2908 I first heard about Ichiro in 1994. I was working at a carpet store in Columbus, OH and had just accepted a job offer to teach English in Japan. NPR had a story on about what was going on in baseball in Japan while we had the player strike happening and they talked about Ichiro threatening .400. I decided then and there that I'd root for his team when I got there. I remember talking to students about this in January, 1995 and they were like, "Orix? They stink". But, the Kobe earthquake hit and then Orix (Kobe team) caught fire. They won the Pacific League that year but lost the Japan series. In 1996 they were not to be denied. I remember years later a friend of mine asked, "Who's the next Ichiro?" There will never be another. Ohtani is fantastic, but a different sort of player. Ichiro is Ichiro. Best baseball player I've ever seen.

[@nonenone7761]

Hands down truth. Came into MLB at 27, and still got 3000 hits.

[@c.w.8459]

It's arguable that considering his short stint that he may be top 5 easily

[@ClaytonBigsby93]

Not even “arguably” - Ichiro is right up there with the very best to ever play the game, and that is an unarguable fact. There’s MLB hall of famers.. then there’s generational greats.. then all-time greats.. and then at the very top you have the legends. In my opinion the number of players in history who could justifiably be placed into “legend” status is somewhere in the high single-digits. I think it’s a fair claim to say Ichiro ranks somewhere in that top five. He was THAT good. Even more remarkable is how he managed to do all that he did given he didn’t even make his first MLB debut until he was in his *late twenties*

[@akari.japanese]

Thank you for making the list. I agree the order. When I see Ichiro’s play, it makes me cry. So beautiful and dedicated. He’s the legend. I like to see Matsui’s home runs. I wish Ohtani stay healthy, and enjoy playing baseball in MLB. From off the list, Munenori Kawasaki, and Tsuyoshi Shinjo have not only baseball skill buy also sense of humor and makes us smile :)

[@edwardwong654]

As a lifelong Yankee fan, I love both Matsui and Ichiro. Also love Tanaka. Growing up painfully as NY Rangers hockey fan, I always looked forward to getting a few Russians, which we did and the first Russians etched on the Stanley cup are from the 1994 Champion Rangers. But still I love the Japanese baseball players as they have this remarkable sense of honour. They are really GREAT!

[@thedripdrop9826]

I loved watching ichiro in Seattle growing up. My favorite player forever. What a man!

[@Kathy-22]

He is awesome

[@douglasa.5039]

Matsui was my favorite. Ohtani is Absolutely Incredible!!! Love Major League Baseball because if you have the skill regardless of size, race or culture you will play.

[@Epik_Comixz_Drew]

I loved Hiroki Kuroda !! I always thought he was so underrated Great pitcher !!!

[@ニッキー]

彼は安定した投球をしていましたよね。 40歳なのにも関わらずヤンキースが2,000万ドルを出したのもすごいことですよね。

[@tsann8701]

Constantly he pitched over 200 innings per year. This ”inning eater“ contributed so much to Dodgers and Yankees.

[@Gybing]

He was doing well, but when he pitched well, Yankees line up didn't do well. I remember seeing Girardi apologizing about it. Bad luck?? So that may be the reason he didn't get higher rating

[@Tyrunner0097]

An Honorable Mention should be given to Norichika "Nori" Aoki. Only played in MLB for 5 seasons, but I loved him on the Brewers. Consistent .280+ hitter and THE most accurate throwing arm I'd seen.

[@ggg8925]

But he is a member of the Astros who hits the trash can and is a son of a bitch.

[@csousher]

Nori just won his first championship in Japan last year, very happy for him

[@sorosub4562]

Nori was my favorite player for the few years he played with the mariners

[@ggg8925]

@@sorosub4562 wtf Are you talking about Aoki? he is one of those fucking dumbass garbage men who used to hit the trash cans with the Astros.

[@KInoue-it6kg]

I really love you mentioned that guy. He is probably one of the most unlucky and/or unsung hero ever played in MLB. Especially, when he had an all-star deserving season with the Giants and he got a hit by pitch in his head that pretty much ended his season that year. Yeah, he got HBPs a lot. His style of playing tells us that you don't have to be big, powerful, have a good arm, real fast or athletic to be a MLB player. He just does things right with good fundamentals and everyday preparations. He had a couple of chances to be a WS winner(in 2014 w/ Royals and in 2017 w/ Astros), I wish he got one.

[@Shih508]

I’d put Darvish ahead of Tanaka.

[@fireboy93939]

For shohei to surpass Godzilla is one thing, but The Wizard literally has it all. Hitting, fielding, speed, stealing, IQ, athleticism, a class act, and he rarely missed a game. Ichiro is the goat IMO

[@575KG]

Hideo Nomo is my hero🇯🇵

[@tetsu-kikuchi4035]

For the 11th, I'd like push Norichika Aoki. He is to be called 'Mr. 285'. His season batting average was around .285 almost every year . He showed very stable performance over the years.

[@maamaa756]

松坂、、

[@斎藤晃-f6y]

🗑🗑🗑🗑🗑BANG!BANG!

[@kobabim9903]

報道規制を疑うくらい日本で青木の不正を訴追する声が上がらんよな。地味にアルトゥーベより多くの打席でゴミ箱の音を聞いてるんだよな。 Let's not forget he is among the cheaters in the Astros Scandal.

[@にゃんこ-n6w]

@@kobabim9903 アストロズでメジャー過去最低の成績やったからね もしこれで成績が良かったら問い詰められてたかもね

[@飯塚俊太-o6d]

@@kobabim9903 まだこんなん言ってんの、古いよww

[@davidchodds]

Great job with the list especially Hideo Nomo. One omission. Takashi Saito had the most saves in a season in Dodgers history prior to the arrival of the great Kenley Jansen. When Eric Gagne was proven to have taken PED's (steroids), I discounted Gagne's achievement and thus Saito became #1. His change-up and splitter made all star hitters miss the ball by 2 to 3 feet. Incredible closer. To be fair, he's probably #11 in this list.

[@ExisVR]

I'm glad! There is a person who still remembers Takashi Saito! He and Uehara were the best Japanese closers in my opinion. Very big yes! #11 should be for him!

[@Covert_Smalls]

Pretty accurate list IMO. - Kenta Maeda might make a run at Iwakamu at #10. - Shiggy Hasegawa was underrated. Maybe would be #11. Solid reliever for almost a decade. His 2003 season was phenomenal.

[@海外スポーツ和訳チャンネル]

Darvish is way better than Tanaka

[@ciello___8307]

I think iwakuma is better than kenta as a starter

[@davidchodds]

Great job remembering Maeda and Hasegawa. Don't forget Takashi Saito.

[@cejannuzi]

Given how much great relief pitching Hasegawa did, he belongs in the top 10. They just need to make him tie with someone.

[@keisukeh1066]

@@davidchodds Saito is better than Sasaki

[@JohnSkyLey]

Don’t forget former Dodger closer Takashi Saito, who replaced Gagne. He was very good for those few seasons

[@tsann8701]

He is underrated so much considering his performance.

[@山田哲人-d2e]

He is also underrated in Japan

[@lamarravery4094]

Those top 3, much respect. I actually got to see Ichiro play live in Seattle at a game during that most hits in a season year. And being a Yankee fan, I remember the greatness of Matsui.

[@Landis_Grant]

Ichiro Suzuki never played in the World Series even as a New York Yankee.

[@lamarravery4094]

@@Landis_Grant I saw Ichiro play the Yankees in Seattle.

[@gurungjitbahadur7635]

All those Japanese players in the top 10 list are extra talented and genius and among this Suzuki Ichiro were much more especial more complete and perfect 👍 I really love all those legends ❤🎉🙏.

[@jasonchen4634]

Imagine ichiro coming to the major league when he was much younger.

[@noriyukitakano2366]

I understand Ichiro is most valued in the MLB, but for me a bit old Japanese Nomo is still the greatest hero. Nothing could happen to all other Japanese players in MLB without Nomo's pioneering challenge to MLB which almost no one else had made until then. By the way it is interesting the top three play at position or made success from hitting (incl. Ohtani) while most of the top 10 are pitchers.

[@drtheengrumb4439]

I remember being a teen when Nomo first got signed to the big leagues.....I was a pitcher/catcher in baseball and was amazed at his windup lol.

[@TheOpus55]

Thank you very much for positing this. Ohtani is the most talented baseball player from Japan. Ichiro is the greatest baseball player from Japan.

[@hansel2001]

Before Ichiro mania, there was Hideki Irabu mania. I remember driving up to a minor league game in CT or RI to watch him pitch his last minor league game before being called up to the Yankees. There was so much hype because he declared he would only play for the Yankees. Short career but loved that guy.

[@kotori-desu]

Not hideki irabu

[@chanhide2068]

Why is not Munenori Kawasaki( who joined Toronto Blue jays) here? I cannot forget his words " I 'm a Japaneeeeeese!" I love him very much. He had the biggest impact on local people and was the uniquest player among Japanese Major leaguers. LOL

[@ryotaarai3816]

yes!! The guy didn't let the language barrier stop his fantastic sense of humour. And he's the only one to ever throw gang signs on live TV. Plus he had two books 📚!

[@aquafilm3571]

川崎は面白いだけで別に成績が良かったわけじゃないからでしょう。

[@chanhide2068]

@@aquafilm3571 面白いという意味をあるし、何よりも向こうのファンにめちゃめちゃ愛されましたよね。そういういみではbest１０の中にいれてもいいのでは。（笑）もっともユニークで愛されたプレーヤー。

[@aquafilm3571]

@@chanhide2068 日本ではそう報道されてるけど、実は本国ではそこまでじゃない。あの有名な動画もブルージェイズのファン番組だからあれだけフィーチャーされてただけであってアメリカ全体では殆どの人が「川崎？誰？」ってレベルなんですよ。例えば大谷やイチローは他のチームのファンも知ってて有名だけど、川崎の場合はブルージェイズのファンだけに愛されていただけ。なので、その後どこのチームからも必要とされなかったでしょ。

[@chanhide2068]

@@aquafilm3571 まあ、そうでしょうね。真剣に書いたわけでないので冗談を交えて半分面白半分洒落のつもりで軽い気持ちで書いたので、まあ私の中でのベストナインということで納得いただけますか（笑）

[@high-defRJ]

Ohtani may take over, but Ichiro is simply the best when it comes to skills and the dedication that he put in to have a long career in both NPB and MLB combined.

[@nathanpetronzio6919]

No way Ohtani takes over. I’m basing that off durability alone. Ohtani’s proneness to injury will likely only increase over time. In Ichiro’s first 12 seasons, he played an average of 159 games! So he essentially only missed 3 games a season his first 12 years 😱 On top of that he played nearly 600 games after he turned 40. His durability & longevity were unreal.

[@とゆ-e6e]

Yes.Ichiro was best player. I hope for that Ｏhtanisan play MLB baseball for long long time.

[@dustinharrison3491]

I'm curious to know how many hits Ichiro had in MLB and NPB combined.

[@davidaugustine3686]

@Dustin Harrison Ichiro had 4,367 across both!!!! Meaning he has the most hits in professional baseball by a mile. With how good the NPB is getting, that number is only going to get more and more impressive.

[@jaytrace1006]

I would have liked to see how Sadahara Oh would have fared in the Major Leagues.

[@sydneyzenigami]

As a Japanese who played baseball myself, watches both NPB and MLB, I agree with the list.👍

[@jamescook6564]

Ichiro is probably the best so far.

[@ThekiBoran]

I agree, because his defense was also stellar.

[@victorcalayo1674]

@@ThekiBoran 1!!11111!1!

[@nathanpetronzio6919]

Probably? It’s not even close 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ThekiBoran]

@@victorcalayo1674 2!!2222222!!

[@ThekiBoran]

@@nathanpetronzio6919 My only criticism of ichiro is his OBP. It's right at about .360 which is very good but compared to the greatest all time it's kinda pedestrian, especially for a leadoff guy. Take a look at Rickey Henderson's .401. I think what Ichiro did was sacrifice OBP for hits. I can't say I blame him cuz he got a late start in MLB at age 27. If you're gonna get 3,000 hits you gotta get hits, not BBs. With that said, Ichiro by himself was worth the price of admission. He was that good and exciting.

[@TheStrangetoons]

Ohtani finally hit 10 HR / 10 Wins, but I still have no disagreement with the order. However, even if they did not make this list, I have a problem with Munenori Kawasaki and Tsuyoshi Shinjo not being featured. They are more impressive than their records.

[@TheStrangetoons]

@@siddithers5356 RETS GO! BUSHU PAATII! NOO SURIPINGU!

[@CmPuke101_]

@@siddithers5356 he is afraid of ghost

[@garryharris3777]

Why? Kawasaki wasn't a starter and Shinjo only made my list because he was the only Japanese CF.

[@ユーザーA-u3d]

@@CmPuke101_ How do you know what his English lesson book is about!

[@waikikisurfingschool270]

This was so good. I was lucky to grow up in Japan. So many great Japanese players that stayed in Japan. Oh, Nagashima,Ochiai,Yamamoto Koji,Kakefu and Tommy Lasorda wanted Hara so bad. Bobby Valentine always knew how good Japanese players were. Irabu and Daisuke were pretty good too

[@brianthomas2434]

HIDEKI IRABU? Who George Steinbrenner referred to as a "fat toad?" I'm sure he was terrific in Japan, but he was JUST A BIT of a disappointment in the bigs. Not as much, of course, as Kaz Matsui, the New York National League disappointment.

[@Michael-mv3kc]

Big differnece between being succesful in japan and being successful in the MLB.

[@wilburwood8261]

How about Koji Akiyama (not the recent one with the Reds), and Isao Harimoto?

[@ニッキー]

@@wilburwood8261 日本人だけど失礼する。 張本さんは守備が良くないこと、そしてDHが苦手だったこと。この二点からあまり出させてもらえないのではないだろうか。

[@wilburwood8261]

@@ニッキー それ言ったら松井もイチローもDH苦手だったよｗ　また同時代同じ左翼手のルー・ブロックも守備は超下手だったけど3000本安打達成するほど長くプレーしてたよ、DHのない時に。張本の数字は守備悪いとか吹き飛ばせるよ、特に当時だったら。

[@akanechan3946]

Don't forget So Taguchi! Taguchi joined the minor leagues and reached MLB. He helped the Cardinals win the World Series in 2006.

[@stuartwalker6409]

being raised int Washington watched Ichiro my whole life, I had a bunch a friends over from my baseball team at the time and we were going to see the mariners vs Yankees game the next day and we got notified that Ichiro had been trading. So we saw his first game as a Yankee. It was weird but obviously Ichiro is loved by everyone everywhere he goes. Also cool to see all the Japanese's players the mariners have had

[@perryservius4509]

Matsui was a beast. Humble and a fantastic player. To bad he came to the Mlb so late in his career since he started in Japan

[@dave4342]

I want mlb to be for Americans again

[@Cheesefist]

@@dave4342 k boomer

[@愛子-h7b]

@@dave4342 So basically: "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN"? 🤔 ohhhhh...🤭 i can almost see where this is going. 🤣😂

[@fireproximity4225]

@@dave4342 haha you picked one of the worst sports for this troll bait 🪤

[@koivelasquez5703]

@@dave4342 then there will be no players on MLB if you want all americans only…lol

[@daverichards9141]

I Ichiro is one of my all time favorite players period.

[@ExisVR]

Personally, Yu Darvish should be higher than Tanaka. He is the best Japanese starting pitcher in MLB. I would also expand the list for Takashi Saito. 2001-2010, when the MLB was corrupted, Ichiro was always clean from any prohibited drugs but he was still one of the best players all the time. I think his stats were somewhat underrated because of the time he had played.

[@BeardWash]

Excellent video!

[@xxhou12x97]

Ichiro the best not only among Japanese players, Shohei 2nd to that, because hes so unique to modern baseball

[@みや-z3i]

日本選手へのリスペクト ありがとうございます！ thanks MLB

[@mirikaku5811]

Great list! You nailed it ‼️

[@YY-ng3fc]

Japanese remember Daisuke Matsuzaka as one of the best pitchers. This is not only because of his performance in WBC, but also because of the story from the Japanese high school baseball tournament called Koshien. If there are any of you out there who have never heard of Koshien, I urge you to check it out.

[@ブラックパンサー-p6w]

書いてるの日本人やろ

[@YY-ng3fc]

@@ブラックパンサー-p6w 当たり前だろ。 ガキでも分かるわ。

[@GokiburiGitte]

@@ブラックパンサー-p6w だったら何だよw

[@treadman26]

Glad you mentioned Murakami!

[@SP-ve1im]

Ohtani will be #1 eventually and that's crazy considering Ichiro is from Japan as well...

[@xgl175]

Matsui, World Series MVP for the biggest franchise there is, very special.

[@frankjr5303]

Why is it the biggest franchise there is ?

[@xgl175]

@@frankjr5303 because they are the most valuable team in baseball according to Forbes

[@anthonyamorelli1962]

Just curious but why is Yu Darvish absent though? In terms of WAR, which i understand is not everything, he is far beyond Hideki Matsui, Huroki Kuroda, and Masahiro Tanaka now, and he does have multiple top 10 cy young votes, and multiple AS appearances. Was he just overlooked or does he not belong on the list yet?

[@meltednostrilsbornwithoutn781]

Great video, great job on the list.

[@finessinsports]

Glad you enjoyed the video melted nostrils! 🙏👊⚾

[@popothpopop]

It is no exaggeration to say that Ichiro made history in the mlb in Japan. He was one of those players who earned the respect of everyone.

[@TN-ux5rk]

The ranking sounds authentic in that you didn't rank Ohtani as No.1 He has much to achieve from now on

[@crackerjack2228]

I just fear that his body won't be able to handle the load of both hitting and pitching. Seems most guys can't handle one or the other.

[@allgoo1990]

Ichiro was an eye opener to MLB.

[@yoichiroshibata6583]

Although they were not selected, the following players are also excellent. Shigetoshi hasegawa(97-05) 63G 1.48ERA(03) So Taguchi(02-09) Takashi Saito(06-12) 2.34ERA Hideki Okajima(07-11,13) “Non-looking delivery” Munenori Kawasaki(12-16)"funny guy"

[@YT-oc7lh]

00:00 Masanori Murakami 村上雅則 00:31 10 Hisashi Iwakuma 岩隈久志 01:56 9 Kazuhiro Sasaki 佐々木主浩 03:19 8 Hiroki Kuroda 黒田博樹 04:08 7 Koji Uehara 上原浩治 05:17 6 Yu Darvish ダルビッシュ有 06:18 5 Masahiro Tanaka 田中将大 08:25 4 Hideo Nomo 野茂英雄 09:48 3 Shohei Ohtani 大谷翔平 11:13 2 Hideki Matsui 松井秀喜（GODZILLA ゴジラ） 12:31 1 Ichiro Suzuki 鈴木一朗（イチロー）

[@bentheswitchsportsfan06]

Shohei Ohtani, Ichiro, we needs more Japanese players in the MLB

[@tapi709]

As a Japanese, I'm looking forward to seeing Rouki Sasaki and Munetaka Murakami play an active role.

[@innocentboy2872]

優れた日本人選手がMLBに行くのは嬉しけど、寂しい

[@EigaRomance]

Before that, Yoshinobu Yamamoto will go to MLB. He is the best pitcher in the NPB.

[@joeyartk]

Darvish is the best pitcher ever from Japan. Injuries are the thing thats hurt him. He has been second twice and ninth once in CY voting out of 6 seasons he was healthy enough to qualify. He was also fastest to 1500 Ks in games. He basically lost 2 full seasons in his prime to TJ, another to elbow surgery, and 2 seasons working his way back. He currently leads the NL in quality starts and is around the top 5 in most stats. Once the league has seen Ohtani for awhile, like Tanaka, he will fade a little. Darvish keeps pitching great despite everyone being very familiar with him. Every player or manager has consistently considered Darvish one of the best in the league his entire career.

[@jimmyteriyaki9783]

100% agree

[@dodgerguy2012]

No Hideo Nomo is

[@joeyartk]

@Mike Sizelittle Of course Ohtani is a better hitter you clown. Im talking about pitching.

[@joeyartk]

@@dodgerguy2012Nope

[@meltednostrilsbornwithoutn781]

@@joeyartk you don't know anything about baseball.

[@-.TS.-]

Eventually Ohtani will overtake Matsui. Really hard to pass Ichiro. That man inspired so many people with his dedication to the game. Love seeing the baton passed along to Ohtani.

[@nonenone7761]

I think he will pass Ichiro, but that’s because of how great Shoehei is, and it’s impossible to overstate how absolutely incredible Ichiro was. I put Ichiro in top 10 ever. But, I think one day, we will look at Ohtani the way Aaron, Ruth and Mays are looked upon.

[@Troutprophet]

He’ll overtake Matsui for his career, sure, but will he ever have a postseason performance like Matsui? I’m a Yankees fan, and in 2009, Matsui was an unstoppable god. It was like every time he came up, he was destroying the ball. The fans were chanting his name when he was on deck. Ohtani is a phenom, but will he ever reach that pinnacle?

[@yankmyass]

Ichiro is one of the best ever. Ohtani needs more great seasons to put up with Ichiro.

[@awave1]

@Mike Sizelittle Exactly. He's surely great now, but longevity and sustainability is something no one can predict, and is what will ultimately decide where he falls in relation to the rest.

[@yankmyass]

@@bazookajoe6760 A hit is a hit. You could have 1500 hard hit singles or 1500 bloop hits and the result simply doesn't change.

[@hikaru0525]

Im so happy I am alive, and was able to see Ichiro’s whole career. From beginning to the end, his road was phenomenal

[@henrychubbs2823]

How can you omit Ichiro's fielding and throwing prowess? If it wasn't for that idiotic rule that forced him to stay in Japan for many prime playing years, he would have rewritten the record books.

[@KPD017]

Great compilation! SHOHEI will be on top in a few years!

[@MyLife-og2kr]

Watching Ichiro play was amazing. One of the best to ever play the game.

[@sunsetsam33]

Saw him once in person. Like watching a ballet dancer on the field. Such a talented, unique, unforgettable athlete.

[@MyLife-og2kr]

@Mike Sizelittle bruh that's like you saying take away a batters home run and he's just a mediocre player. LOL You're taking away 1 of a players traits is just plain dumb LOL

[@MyLife-og2kr]

@Mike Sizelittle LMAO so your just a hater. Got it. The difference between Ichiro and other players were his hits, but you can't discount his fielding, throwing, running. The biggest what if was could he had hit homers and been as great as he was. Probably not, but he that wasnt his position. He had the power to hit homers, but chose not to, because that wasn't what the coaches wanted. He was a leadoff hitter and their purpose was to secure homeruns, but to reach base. That's simply what he did and he was the best at it. Speed accounts to reaching bases my guy. Take away power and none of the greats would've been great. Take away their speed and it would've been the same.

[@sunsetsam33]

@Mike Sizelittle Whenever someone says "no disrespect but", disrespect is exactly what they mean. "I like big bats, and I cannot lie". LOL. Take away a bombers muscles then what would he have? It's just silly. Speed is a talent and skill that's absolutely an important part of the game. What's the object of the game? Runs scored. Can't score runs if you don't get on base. Is beating out a bunt or grounder not a hit that gets you on base? No problem if you have a preference. I just liked watching him play. It's a game of many facets, and can be appreciated for all of them.

[@ilxzeri1094]

@Mike Sizelittle you did not just say the player who has more hits in his professional career than any other player in baseball history wasn't a good hitter

[@Riteaidbob]

ICHIRO!!! ICHIRO!!! ICHIRO!!!

[@kr6955]

Without Nomo, there wouldn’t be many of these guys. Japanese are very self conscious. Nomo coming to the US, and, more importantly, succeeded right off the bat really break down lots if walls and show what is possible

[@mustysmells817]

Kinda crazy how some people still discredit Ichiro's hits in Japan's League when 8 of the greatest japanese players in MLB history are dominant pitchers.

[@koningklootzak7788]

Nice video. But I wanted to see Irabu in it.

[@bwanimations7130]

Much respect to Matsui, but Ohtani has already passed him.

[@tora8511]

I would appreciate for the video. While opinions among even Japanese fans may differ regarding the rankings of players, but I felt you provided an objective evaluation, including historical context. Shohei Ohtani is still expected by everyone to further establish his achievements in MLB. I envy the United States for having passionate fan sites dedicated to baseball compared to Japan.

[@eddyscardboardchaos]

Great list, brought to tears at the end hearing the great Dave Niehaus call Ichiro's record breaker.

[@Landis_Grant]

Hidecki Matsui was the greatest Japanese import ever in that not only did he win a World Series ring but also World Series MVP!

[@leons.kennedy6710]

Yeah, he wrecked my Phillies in 2009. I raged at the TV because of him lol.

[@jamescook6564]

Ichiro was better but he gets no love because he didn't play for the Yankees during his prime.

[@RagnarokCo]

I don't like the ring arguments, it takes way more than 1 good player to win a world series. It's certainly impressive being an MVP of the WS but it literally means you have to be good for maybe 7 games and are ranked against only 2 teams total. Ichiro's career stats far exceed Hidecki's and those are comparing him to every single baseball athlete in history.

[@totsbig]

It's missing (Dice-K) Matsuzaka and (Shigetoshi) Hasegawa, but those 10 players on the list are hard to beat, really.

[@ノムラー-h1b]

外国の方々が日本人選手をリスペクトしてくれているのは同じ日本人として嬉しいね

[@HuegoStiglitz]

How dare you have Matsui in the cover and have him in a Rays hat!

[@copanemaipacabana6711]

Hi, I'm Japanese. Very good list and the ranking looks fair enough. Just one minor thing: Darvish should be ranked higher than Tanaka in my opinion.

[@lossantos4204]

The great thing about Tanaka is that he has maintained a consistent record in the major leagues. And with the Yankees, a prestigious team under pressure. Darvish's performance fluctuates too much from season to season, partly due to injuries.

[@kbv3263]

Sorry but Nomo is #1. He is the Beatles of all Japanese players. Even Ichiro seemingly agrees.

[@Kaitydid74]

Great list, spot on

[@TakaoTKOchannel]

No.11 Muneeee back to TORONTO!!!😢

[@lamarravery4094]

I'm just glad we can do a best Japanese baseball players list in the MLB. That's what I love about baseball, the diversity. Not just race, but body type as well. Anybody can play baseball as long as they work hard at it. Just look at Yogi Berra and Jose Altuve.

[@えなりかずき-b5f]

🗑💥💥💥

[@edjasper92]

I think you did a good job on this list. I only offer that Ichiro was one of the greatest defensive outfielders, in addition to his offensive skills.

[@why-why-whywhywhy]

Favourite Japanese player ever : *Hideo Nomo* BEST Japanese player to ever play in ‘The Show’ : *Ichiro Suzuki* Should a, could a been : *Hideki Matsui* & *Yu Darvish*

[@floridapmi]

If God made a baseball player, out would have come Ichiro.

[@てんちん-h7j]

Where is Munenori Kawasaki？

[@BleachCowboy2016]

I remember when Hideo Nomo first broke into the league. I was like holy shit, there’s a Japanese guy on the dodgers! Then I was like damn, his windup is the dope af! Until this video, I thought he was the first Japanese MLB player ever.

[@anthonyamorelli1962]

I feel Takashi Saito often gets overlooked. He was a very successful closer for multiple seasons in his late 30s and was an effective reliever until age 42. Never had an ERA over 2.83

[@ericyama5083]

Mune Kawasaki #1 off the field.

[@Nomowu]

Ichiro broke a record set in 1920. So that’s pretty much on par to do what babe ruth did 1919. One record no one had even think about accomplishing, and the other record, millions of batters tried and failed. So sample size wise, you could say what Ichiro did was more impressive

[@morcatna4767]

Y’all may notice lots of Japanese pitchers pick #18 In Japan that is the “Ace” # Similarly #55 is for best slugger

[@アライグマ-d6t]

I am Japanese I'm happy that so many people love Japanese players I love Munenori Kawasaki☺️☺️☺️

[@toneskinguyen9633]

I love ichiro !

[@Dylan-yb9tj]

shohei should have 4x all stat selections instead of two because he's been voted as an all star twice in both hitting and pitching

[@divinedelaware7541]

Wanna see where ohtani at on here. He will end up #1 all time maybe everywhere not just Japan.

[@terrygracy8345]

Ichiro. No question. Yet

[@joeyartk]

Darvish gets a distorted view of his post season performances because of the 2 cheating tainted WS games. If you look at his other 5 playoff games, he pitched very well in 4 of them, and has a 3.34 ERA.

[@jamescook6564]

If you go back and look (the videos are here on youtube) he WAS tipping his pitches.

[@あーは-n8u]

な阪関

[@Hether6971]

do chinese. Better than us

[@Michael15_25]

But the second game was in his own stadium where he gave up 4 runs in the 1st.

[@joeyartk]

@@Michael15_25 When a team is caught cheeting as much as the Astros were, everthing involving them becomes suspect. No one knows the full extent of their cheating. The mental aspect must be taken into account as well, did Darvish make unnecessary adjustments, was his confidence affected? This is all cheating related.

[@knifejail]

Nomo truly deserves the MLB HOF. He was “the pioneer.” He was the American Dream. In modern day, He was the first one to experience cultural differences, language barrier & hardships then succeeded…and he opened the door to many amazing Japanese players including Ichiro. I hope he will earn the MLB HOF one day.

[@MoviesVsRealLife]

Putting Matsui in a Rays hat in the thumbnail is a crime. Lol 😂

[@yusuke3232]

田中選手の紹介中、唐突なアイドルオタク暴露で笑いました🤣 良い動画をありがとうございます！

[@tsann8701]

Guys please remember Tomo Ohka(Tomokazu Ohka). His ability flourished in big league and he excited Expos and Redsox fans!!!

[@wasthataspongebobreference533]

For #2, Matsui had a few years in the MLB after 2009. By no means were they All-Star caliber years, but the wording in the video sounds like he retired after that. Still, other than that and a few mispronunciations, great video!

[@maboroshi0911]

Don't forget Munenori Kawasaki.

[@finessinsports]

Good one, great personality during interviews! 👊⚾

[@alohasaurus]

IMO Darvish > Tanaka, and he's at Nomo's doorstep right now.

[@RoniaProductions]

Currently at 8 on the list and Im thinking about how amazing it was to watch Ichiro's career living near Seattle. The crazy part is that I have no doubt in my mind Shohei deserves to be higher than him on the list.

[@Sandul666]

when he has more than season records and gets closer to all time records, he will surpass ichiro. the top 3 on this list are just the top 3. any order, doesn't matter. they are phenomenal.

[@P420-i1e]

Matsui should have a Yankees hat on

[@usumanu_denbere]

Now, there is a genius hitter in NPB who will surpass Matsui. Munetaka Murakami(村上 宗隆). As of the 2022 season, he has a .339 batting average, 49 home runs, .751 slugging percentage, and 1.226 OPS in 116 games. He has hit home runs in an NPB-record 5 consecutive at-bats and has reached base 14 consecutive times. And the most amazing thing is that he is only 22 years old. He is a Beast.

[@ちくわちゃん-s7b]

japanese？

[@usumanu_denbere]

@@ちくわちゃん-s7b yes

[@ClaytonBigsby93]

Ichiro should be FRONT AND CENTER in that thumbnail picture. Because he is head and shoulders above any other and that is an unarguable FACT

[@blachloch1]

I still put Ichiro number 1 Otani has to do it longer. Darvish was dominant at first too just not a batter.

[@裏から見た表]

岩隈の安定感は凄かったなぁ

[@りょーたろ-r8l]

愛を感じる編集やね 相当詳しいんやなこの人 I consider this movie is very good quality to introduce Japanese player. I’m impressed that introducing each Japanese career in detail！

[@finessinsports]

Hey りょーたろ , Glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for the kind words.🙏⚾