Here’s how Shohei Ohtani’s debut compares to other Japanese pitching phenoms
Shohei Ohtani pitched well and got a win in his first start on Sunday, but how does it compare to the debuts of other Japanese pitching phenoms?
Shohei Ohtani made his first start for the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, and he delivered a quality start (six innings, three runs allowed) in a 7-4 win over the Oakland A’s. Outside of a sequence in the bottom of the second inning, with three straight hits allowed and a home run to cap it off, Ohtani was untouched by the Oakland lineup.
Ohtani set aside concerns about his struggles on the mound during spring training, and looked just fine in his first meaningful outing. But how does his debut compare to other Japanese pitching phenoms we’ve seen?
Hideo Nomo, Los Angeles Dodgers: May 2, 1995 at San Francisco Giants
5 IP, zero runs allowed on one hit, seven strikeouts, four walks-91 pitches, 51 strikes, No decision
Nomo would go on to win National League Rookie of the Year in 1995, with a 13-6 record and a 2.54 ERA over 28 starts (191.1 innings pitched). From there, he made at least 28 starts every season through 2003, before fading quickly, missing a couple seasons and finishing his career with three appearances for the Kansas City Royals in 2008.
Hideki Irabu, New York Yankees: July 10, 1997 vs. Detroit Tigers
6.2 IP, two runs allowed on five hits, nine strikeouts, four walks-99 pitches, 62 strikes, Win
Irabu didn’t deliver on the promise he came with, posting a 7.09 ERA in 1997 and a 4.80 ERA over three seasons with the Yankees. He made 14 starts over two seasons for the Montreal Expos (2000-2001), before pitching a final season in 2003 for the Texas Rangers (5.74 ERA, 38 appearances, two starts). Irabu passed away in 2011 at age 42.
Daisuke Matsuzaka, Boston Red Sox: April 5, 2007 at Kansas City Royals
7 IP, one run allowed on six hits, 10 strikeouts, one walk-108 pitches, 74 strikes, Win
Matsuzaka finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting, and finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting the following year as he went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA. But control issues caught up to him, and injuries quickly derailed his major league career. He eventually returned to Japan, and signed with a team for the 2018 season.
Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers: April 9, 2012 vs. Seattle Mariners
5.2 IP, five runs allowed on eight hits, five strikeouts, four walks-110 pitches, 59 strikes, Win
Darvish recovered nicely from an erratic debut to win 16 games with a 3.90 ERA and a 10.4 K/9 rate over 191.1 innings in 2012. He was an All-Star as a rookie, finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting and also finished ninth in Cy Young voting.
Now into his sixth major league season, with a missed campaign in 2015 due to Tommy John surgery, Darvish has a 56-42 record with a 3.45 ERA. He was the top prize among starting pitchers in the free agent market this past offseason, eventually landing a six-year, $126 million deal with the Chicago Cubs.
Review
Ohtani pitched more innings in his debut than two of his four fellow notable Japanese imports, and he joined three of them with a mark in the win column (for what that’s worth). He only bested Darvish in strikeouts, but had fewer walks than Darvis, Irabu and Nomo and only Nomo threw fewer pitches in his MLB debut.
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Just like other Japanese pitchers we’ve seen, Ohtani has a nice array of pitches in his arsenal. At 23 years old he’s also younger than Nomo (26), Irabu (28), Matsuzaka (26) and Darvish (25) were when they made their first starts stateside, and theoretically he could have a longer peak. Ohtani is also set to contribute for the Angels offensively as a two-way player, but if he pitches well a move to focus strictly on that could eventually come.