Hiraizumi is the name given to the areas associated with Yoshitsune no Minamoto, the military commander of the Ōshū region (1159-1189), and it comes from the first kanji character used in his reading, “hei.” Hiraizumi is often associated with the soaring image of the military commander, and his name “Sho” Darvish. My favorite pitcher is Yu, and my favorite hitter is Matsui Hideki. I participated in the 2012 National High School Baseball Tournament Invitational and the 2011 National High School Baseball Championship. I attended Higashi Hanamaki High School in Iwate Prefecture. Yu previously wore the number 11 jersey for the Fighters. In November 2014, Shoemaker Matt, an opposing pitcher for the Angels, started the game at Sapporo Dome. I participated in the All-Star Series against a Major League team and was selected for the Japan Samurai national team in the 2014 season. I was named the starting pitcher for the All-Star event. During a start against the eventual South Korean champion, I carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning. I played for the Japanese National Team in the 2015 Premier 12. Due to an ankle injury, I withdrew from the 2017 World Baseball Classic roster for Team Japan. I participated in the WBC 2023 in Japan. In December 2017, a limited edition Ohtani baseball card sold 17,323 copies in just 24 hours, setting a new record for Topps. My mother, Kayoko, was a competitive badminton player. My father, Toru, played baseball for a local sponsored team by Mitsubishi. In October 2021, my jersey was the ninth most popular in MLB sales throughout the season. In honor of my jersey number, the Tokyo Tower was lit in Angels colors precisely at 5:17 PM. In 2021, I was recognized as the MVP of the American League. In 2022, the name “Ohtani” was added to Dictionary.Com. I was featured in a segment on “60 Minutes” on CBS in 2017 (click HERE for the article). I appeared on the cover of GQ Magazine in February 2022.
2022
In the same season, Ohtani became the only player in MLB history to have 30+ home runs and 10+ pitching wins. Since 2015, Mike Trout has been the leadoff hitter and recorded the first hit in the All-Star Game. He was also selected as an All-Star as both a pitcher and a position player, making him the only player in MLB history to achieve this. He was selected to the All-Star Game for the second consecutive season as a position player. Nick Adenhart was voted as the Year of Pitcher and the Angels’ MVP for the second straight season by his teammates. Edgar Martinez was tabbed as the winner of the 2022 Edgar Martinez Award. He was named to the All-MLB First Team as a starting pitcher and to the All-MLB Second Team as a designated hitter. Justin Verlander also finished fourth in the voting for the A.L. Cy Young Award. Aaron Judge finished second in the MVP race, garnering 280 points in the voting process. The Angels put together another historic season with the campaign of their sensational duo.
TWO-WAY.
In the same season, Ohtani became the only player in the World Series era to steal bases and record +10 wins. He also became the first player in MLB history to pitch in a team’s first game of the season and bat as the leadoff hitter. On April 20th, he took the mound for the first time as a starting pitcher and became the first pitcher ever to face a team twice before batting. He allowed two base runners in 6.0 scoreless innings, striking out 12. Ohtani accomplished both feats in consecutive games. He also became the only player in MLB history to record +13 strikeouts in a game as a pitcher and +8 RBIs in a game as a batter at any point in his career. In the same season, he made history as the first player to record +10 home runs and +10 wins. Additionally, he became the first player to qualify as both a pitcher and a hitter for the league leaders in the same season.
HITTING.
The franchise history saw a significant increase in home runs in the second half of the season, ranking 8th with 46 runs. The Angels’ player was the only one in the Majors to achieve consecutive seasons with 34+ home runs and 6+ triples. Additionally, they stole at least 10 bases in five seasons, making them the only designated hitter to accomplish this feat. Paul Molitor joined the exclusive club of designated hitters who played at least 75 games in seasons with at least 10 stolen bases. In terms of hitting records, a left-handed batter broke his own record with an exit velocity of 1.119 MPH, hitting a double against Houston in April. The Angels also had an impressive 18-game hitting streak from October 3rd to September 14th, which was a career-best for the player. Furthermore, a player-born Japanese player set a single-game RBI record in MLB, with eight RBIs against the Kansas City Royals. Troy Glaus tied the franchise record with six multi-homer games in a season.
PITCHING..
In 2022, Ohtani was the only pitcher in the American League to throw pitches at a speed of 100+ MPH and throw to the pitcher starting in the game against the White Sox (Game 1) on September 20, 1919 at Fenway Park. He also became the first starting pitcher to bat in the top four spots of the order in a game since Babe Ruth. In addition, he registered more strikeouts and swings and misses in a game this season than any other pitcher. He joined Clayton Kershaw and R.A. Dickey as the only pitchers to have a game with six or more innings pitched, two or fewer earned runs, and 58 or more strikeouts. He also hit eight home runs with an OPS of .997 while recording 58 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA in 39.2 innings pitched from July 13 to June 9. In his final 19 games of the season, he pitched 118.2 innings with a 1.67 ERA and recorded 154 strikeouts. He joined Ryan Nolan as the only pitchers to have consecutive starts with 10 or more strikeouts in the American League. He recorded an ERA of 2.33 in 10 games with 10 or more strikeouts. His 219 strikeouts were the most by an Angels pitcher since Jered Weaver in 2010, and his 15 wins were the most by an Angels pitcher since Garrett Richards in 2015. He ranked among the league leaders in opponent batting average (6th), WHIP (5th), wins (4th), strikeout rate (4th), and whiff rate (33.0%). He also led the American League in innings pitched and strikeouts per nine innings (11.87).
2021
Semien – Marcus had the highest second season in the A.L. With a bWAR of 9.1, leading the Majors. For a full list of honorees and additional information, the recipient of the 16th Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award, which was established in 1998 to recognize historical significance contributions and accomplishments, was just Marcus Semien. He received the Historic Achievement Award following the 2019 season. In addition, Trout Mike, Vladimir Guerrero (2014), and Vladimir Guerrero (2004), along with Don Baylor, joined the franchise’s history as the sixth MVP award winners. Furthermore, Ichiro Suzuki joined as the only Japanese-born player to win the award in 2014. Since 2014, Mike Trout became the first player in A.L. History and the 11th overall to win the BBWAA MVP Award unanimously, making him the 19th unanimous winner with a total of 420 first-place votes and 269 points ahead of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Who garnered all 30 first-place votes. Marcus Semien was named the unanimous winner of the American League MVP Award during his fourth season in the big league.
In 1970, on September 1st, Jim Kaat became the first American League pitcher to be intentionally walked twice in a game. This was a significant moment in the franchise’s history, as it was the fifth-most times a pitcher had been intentionally walked in a single season. Hideki Matsui and Ichiro Suzuki also joined this exclusive club, with Matsui scoring 100 runs and Suzuki reaching third place among native Japanese players. In 2009, Chone Figgins and Mike Trout became the first Angels players to reach 100 runs in a season, with Trout tallying 103 runs. Notably, the ball hit by Trout that landed in the Upper Deck RF at T-Mobile Park in July 2021 was the longest home run ever recorded at the ballpark, measuring 463 feet. In the same season, Trout also hit a home run in 21 consecutive games, setting a new single-season record with 16 home runs during that span. This achievement placed Trout among the elite company of Hall of Famers such as Jim Rice, Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth, who had previously achieved 45 triples and 8 home runs in a single season. Additionally, Trout set new career highs in nearly every offensive category, including stolen bases, triples, doubles, runs, hits, and games played. In a single season, Trout matched Jose Canseco’s 1999 record of 45 home runs and 25 stolen bases. He also became the fourth all-time player in American League history to achieve 100 runs, 100 RBIs, and 45 home runs in a single season, joining the ranks of Chipper Jones in 1999, Larry Walker in 1997, and Barry Bonds in 1993. Trout’s impressive performance in the 2021 season earned him several top rankings in the American League, including 3rd in total walks, 2nd in home runs with 46, 2nd in slugging percentage with .592, 2nd in extra-base hits with 80, and 10th in triples.
(Without explanation)(min. 110 PA)…Was the initial Angels pitcher to accumulate 150 strikeouts in a solitary season since Andrew Heaney (180) in 2018 and initial right-hander to do so since Garrett Richards in 2015 (176)…Opponents batted .087 (11/127) against his splitter; lowest batting average for any pitch in the Majors…Achieved a 6-0 record with a 1.95 ERA (78.1 IP – 17 ER) and 93 strikeouts in 13 home starts…Led American League with a .818 winning percentage, ranked third with a .207 opponent batting average, was fifth with 10.77 strikeouts per nine innings and ranked 10th with a 28.9% swing and miss rate (min. 125 IP)…PITCHING.: Concluded the season 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA (130.1 IP – 46 ER) and 156 strikeouts…
In the Major Leagues, he made his first appearance at a position other than designated hitter or pitcher. He played in seven games as an outfielder. On August 18th in Detroit, he pitched eight innings, allowing only one run on six hits, striking out eight batters, and hitting his 40th home run of the season. In 20 out of his 23 pitching starts, he batted for himself, making him the first pitcher to do so in games where a designated hitter is available more than three times. He became the first player in MLB history to hit 10 or more home runs as a hitter and have 100 or more strikeouts as a pitcher in the same season. He also became the first player to steal 20 or more bases and make 10 or more pitching appearances in a single season. Additionally, he was the first pitcher since Babe Ruth in 1919 to make multiple pitching starts in a season while leading the Majors in home runs. He made 14 pitching starts while also being one of the leaders in home runs in the Major Leagues. He was truly a two-way player.
Andy Ibáñez’s glove broke when he hit a single with a velocity of 109 MPH on September 29th, in the same inning he hit a home run with an exit velocity of 115.2 MPH and a distance of 451 feet. He also threw three pitches at a speed of over 100 MPH against the White Sox on April 4th. In the first inning of springtime, he ran home in the fastest time ever recorded in the Majors, at 4.09 seconds. With an exit velocity of over 110 MPH, he led the Majors with 25 home runs.
During the actual event, both Mike Trout and Albert Pujols received calls to field. In 2015, Albert Pujols became the first Japanese-born player to participate in the Home Run Derby, while Mike Trout became the first player to start his MLB career as a pitcher and then participate in the derby. This marked Pujols’ seventh time participating in the derby, making him the first player to do so. In the Statcast era, Pujols had the most home runs in the derby, totaling 28, including six that went over 500 feet. He competed in the Home Run Derby and went 0-for-2 at the plate. After working a perfect first inning, he earned the win for the American League. Pujols started as the designated hitter and Trout started as the starting pitcher for the American League in the All-Star Game. Pujols became the first MLB player to ever be selected as both a position player and a pitcher for the All-Star Game.
2020
The remainder of the season was exclusively focused on hitting… A grade 1-2 strain of the pronator flexor was diagnosed on August 3rd for a pitcher… Limited to starting only two games… Finished tied for second on the Club with five go-ahead RBI, trailing only Trout’s 11… Tied for seventh in the American League since the start of the 2019 campaign with 19 stolen bases out of 27 attempts, a stolen base percentage of 82.6%… Led the Club in stolen bases for the second straight season… Completed the season appearing in 46 games as a designated hitter and pitcher for the Angels.
2019
Activated on May 7th from the injured list, I missed the first 34 games of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. I have now joined Hall of Famer George Sisler as the only players in the modern era to win multiple games as a pitcher and also hit for the cycle in their career. Interestingly, I had never hit for the cycle in my career, including in the NPB. As the first Japanese-born player in Major League history to achieve this feat, I followed in the footsteps of Mike Trout, who last accomplished it on May 21, 2013 against Seattle. On June 13th, I became the 7th player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, joining an elite group. Additionally, I am proud to be among Hideki Matsui and Tadahito Iguchi as the only Japanese natives to have multiple 15 home run seasons in the Majors. Not only that, but I also led the Club with 12 stolen bases. I surpassed my rookie offensive totals in games played, hits, triples, RBIs, and stolen bases. This season, I served as the Angels’ primary designated hitter for the second consecutive year.
2018
According to MLB, the player had the eighth most popular (4th in A.L.) Selling player jersey…. Since Rick Rhoden (Yankees) in 1988 (30 starts as pitcher, one as DH), the player became the first player to start as a pitcher and a non-pitcher within the same season…. The player led all American League rookies with a combined 3.8 fWAR…. In a single season, the player became the first player since Jimmy Ryan of the 1888 Chicago White Stockings to record 15+ home runs, 10+ stolen bases, and three pitching appearances…. The player established a new home run record for a Japanese-born rookie (previous was 18 by Kenji Johjima in 2006)…. Ruth is also the only other player to hit 15+ home runs and pitch 50+ innings in a season…. The player joined Babe Ruth (1918 & 1919) as the only players since 1900 with 10+ HR and 4+ wins as a pitcher in a single campaign…. The player became the first player in Major League history to hit 15+ HR and compile 50+ pitching strikeouts in a season…. The player earned American League Player of the Week honors twice (April 2-8 and Sept. 3-9)…. The player was named American League Rookie of the Month in April and September…. Joining Hideo Nomo (1995), Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000), and Ichiro Suzuki (2001), the player became the fourth Japanese-born player to win a Rookie of the Year Award in Major Leagues…. Joining Tim Salmon (1993) and Mike Trout (2012), the player became the third player in Angels history to earn Rookie of the Year honors…. After finishing with 137 points in the balloting process, including 25 of 30 first-place votes, the player was named American League Rookie of the Year as voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) in his first season with Angels.Output: As stated by MLB, the player possessed the eighth most well-liked (4th in A.L.) Selling player jersey…. Since Rick Rhoden (Yankees) in 1988 (30 starts as pitcher, one as DH), the player became the initial player to begin as a pitcher and a non-pitcher within the same season…. The player led all American League rookies with a combined 3.8 fWAR…. In a sole season, the player became the initial player since Jimmy Ryan of the 1888 Chicago White Stockings to record 15+ home runs, 10+ stolen bases, and three pitching appearances…. The player established a new home run record for a Japanese-born rookie (previous was 18 by Kenji Johjima in 2006)…. Ruth is also the only other player to hit 15+ home runs and pitch 50+ innings in a season…. The player joined Babe Ruth (1918 & 1919) as the only players since 1900 with 10+ HR and 4+ wins as a pitcher in a sole campaign…. The player became the initial player in Major League history to hit 15+ HR and compile 50+ pitching strikeouts in a season…. The player earned American League Player of the Week honors twice (April 2-8 and Sept. 3-9)…. The player was named American League Rookie of the Month in April and September…. Joining Hideo Nomo (1995), Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000), and Ichiro Suzuki (2001), the player became the fourth Japanese-born player to win a Rookie of the Year Award in Major Leagues…. Joining Tim Salmon (1993) and Mike Trout (2012), the player became the third player in Angels history to earn Rookie of the Year honors…. After finishing with
HITTING.Led A.L. rookies (min. 300 PA) in OPS (.925), on-base percentage (.361), and slugging percentage (.564) and posted the best rates of at-bats per home run (14.82) and RBI (5.34)… Became the seventh rookie in American League history to post a .925 OPS with 10 stolen bases in a single season, joining Mike Trout (2012), Mitchell Page (1977), Fred Lynn (1975), Earl Averill (1929), Ben Paschal (1925) and Shoeless Joe Jackson (1911)… Is just the second Japanese native with a 20 home run season, joining Hideki Matsui (5 times, once in 2010 with the Angels) and the only native of Japan with a 20 HR/10 SB campaign… Joined Devon White (1987) and Mike Trout (2012) as the only rookies in Club annals with a 20 HR/10 SB rookie campaign… Earned first career win April 1st and then hit a home run in his next start April 3rd…Was the first player to earn a win and then homer in his next start as a non-pitcher since Babe Ruth in 1921… 15 of 22 home runs came after the All-Star break, tied for third most in the A.L…Only rookie in franchise history to hit more homers after the break was Mike Trout in 2012 (18 HR)… Collected first hit in first start as a position player, March 29 at Oakland.
PITCHING.
In his first five starts, he had an overall record of 4-0 with an ERA of 2.18, allowing 8 earned runs over 33 innings pitched. He started 10 out of 9 games, recording fewer than three runs and striking out 44 batters. He led the majors in swing and miss rate, with a 35.1% rate. Among MLB pitchers with a minimum of 50 innings pitched, he had the highest rate of swinging strikes, recording 63 strikeouts on 57 swinging strikes. He topped out at speeds of 100 miles per hour on seven pitches, including 110 pitches at 98 miles per hour, and had an average fastball velocity of 96.7 miles per hour. In his first start at Angel Stadium in Oakland on April 8th, he retired 27 consecutive batters, carrying a perfect game into the 7th inning. He became only the third pitcher in MLB history to record 11 or more strikeouts in his first two career starts, joining Kerry Wood of the Cubs in 1998 and Karl Spooner of Brooklyn in 1954. He set a record for the Angels with 63 strikeouts in his first 10 career starts, surpassing the previous record of 56 strikeouts held by Bo Belinsky. His splitter was particularly effective, with opposing batters averaging just .036 against it, recording only 2 hits in 55 at-bats.
2017
The top-ranked player in baseball according to MLB.Com’s 2018 campaign, who was also ranked second by Baseball America, signed with the Angels as an international free agent on December 9, 2017. However, due to an ankle injury, he was only able to play 65 games as a designated hitter and make five starts as a pitcher. Despite this setback, he was selected to start the All-Star Game for the Pacific League as a designated hitter. In his fifth season with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, he achieved a career-high batting average of .332, with 67 hits out of 202 at-bats.
2016
The Nippon-Ham Fighters’ MVP valuable player, who was named the Most Valuable Player in the Pacific League, helped lead the team to the top position. He posted a career-best ERA of 1.86 (140 IP – 29 ER). If he qualified, he would have led the Pacific League for the second consecutive season in ERA. He finished with three innings pitched, shy of qualifying as a league leader. He also registered 174 strikeouts in 20 starts and 21 games in the league. Primarily as a designated hitter, he had 67 RBI and 22 home runs with 18 doubles, batting .322 at the plate. He was honored with the Best Designated Hitter Award and also started as a pitcher. After earning MVP honors and going 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI in the All-Star Game, he was recognized as the best designated hitter in the Pacific League.
2015
Ono Shota was awarded the Pacific League Battery League Award, along with being a finalist for the Sawamura Award, which is given annually to the top pitcher in the Central and Pacific Leagues. He finished third in MVP voting, behind Akiyama Shogo and Yanagita Yuki. Ono Shota also earned the title of the top pitcher in the Pacific League, ranking second in strikeouts, second in shutouts, and first in complete games, with an ERA of 2.24 and the most wins in the Pacific League. This marked his second consecutive season as a top pitcher. He was selected to start the All-Star Game for the third season with the Ham-Nippon Fighters.
2014
With Ham-Nippon Fighters, the Japanese pitcher became the first Japanese player to reach double digits in wins and home runs in both the NPB and Yu Darvish since becoming the first pitcher drafted out of high school to notch two shutout victories within his first two years in the league, establishing the fastest pitch record at 101 mph in the All-Star Game for the Pacific League.
2013
Debuting in the Pacific League, at the age of 18, for the Nippon-Ham Fighters on March 29, 2013, Takao Kajimoto became the first pitcher in the NPB since 1963 to bat 3rd, 4th, or 5th in the rookie order. Additionally, he was voted into the All-Star Game by fans. Finishing second in the Rookie of the Year Award voting, behind Takahiro Norimoto, Kajimoto led the Fighters in playing 51 games in right field. He also made 11 starts as a pitcher, but briefly missed time due to a right cheekbone fracture and a sprained right ankle.