Japan has been grown into an elite MLB player factory, with new stars coming to America to join MLB teams every year.
Shohei Ohtani is the best and most famous active Japanese player in the MLB, but he is just one of the 15 active Japanese baseball players in the MLB in 2026.
Ohtani joined the Los Angeles Angels in 2018, and 21 other Japanese ball-players have since followed him from the Nippon Professional Baseball league (NPB) since.
Seattle Mariners legend Ichiro Suzuki created the framework to be a huge Japanese star in the MLB, and Ohtani, a four-time MVP and two-time World Series champion has taken the torch and ran with it.
Ohtani has token the game to another level by being the only player since Babe Ruth to absolutely dominate on the mound, and in the batters box. Now on the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani is widely regarded as the most famous player in the MLB, regardless of nationality.
Three Japanese players are expected to make their debut in 2026, including Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, and Tatsuya Imai.
Other Japanese players in the MLB include Yu Darvish, Yusei Kikuchi, Seiya Suzuki, Kodai Senga, Masataka Yoshida, Yuki Matsui, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shota Imanaga, Roki Sasaki, Tomoyuki Sugano, and Shinnosuke Ogasawara.
Yu Darvish (SD)
Current MLB Team | San Diego Padres (2021-Present) |
Past MLB Team(s) | Texas Rangers (2012-2017), Los Angeles Dodgers (2017), Chicago Cubs (2018-2020) |
Last NBP Team | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
Position(s) | Starting Pitcher |
Age | 39 |
MLB Debut Season | 2012 |
Bats (L/R) | Right |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Osaka, Japan |
Shohei Ohtani (LAD)
Current MLB Team | Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-Present) |
Past MLB Team(s) | Los Angeles Angels (2018-2023) |
Last NPB Team | Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters |
Position(s) | Starting Pitcher, Designated Hitter |
Age | 31 |
MLB Debut Season | 2018 |
Bats (L/R) | Left |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Oshu, Japan |
Read Shohei Ohtani's player profile on site.
Yusei Kikuchi (LAA)
Current MLB Team | Los Angeles Angels (2024-Present) |
Past MLB Team(s) | Seattle Mariners (2019-2021), Toronto Blue Jays (2022-2024), Houston Astros (2024) |
Last NPB Team | Saitama Seibu Lions |
Position(s) | Starting Pitcher |
Age | 34 |
MLB Debut Season | 2019 |
Bats (L/R) | Left |
Throws (L/R) | Left |
Birthplace | Iwate, Japan |
Seiya Suzuki (CHC)
Current MLB Team | Chicago Cubs (2022-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Hiroshima Toyo Carp |
Position(s) | Outfield |
Age | 31 |
MLB Debut Season | 2022 |
Bats (L/R) | Right |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Tokyo, Japan |
Kodai Senga (NYM)
Current MLB Team | New York Mets (2023-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks |
Position(s) | Starting Pitcher |
Age | 33 |
MLB Debut Season | 2023 |
Bats (L/R) | Left |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Aichi, Japan |
Masataka Yoshida (BOS)
Current MLB Team | Boston Red Sox (2023-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Orix Buffaloes |
Position(s) | Outfield |
Age | 32 |
MLB Debut Season | 2023 |
Bats (L/R) | Left |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Fukui, Japan |
Yuki Matsui (SD)
Current MLB Team | San Diego Padres (2024-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles |
Position(s) | Relief Pitcher |
Age | 30 |
MLB Debut Season | 2024 |
Bats (L/R) | Left |
Throws (L/R) | Left |
Birthplace | Yokohama, Japan |
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)
Current MLB Team | Los Angeles Dodgers (2024-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Orix Buffaloes |
Position(s) | Starting Pitcher |
Age | 27 |
MLB Debut Season | 2024 |
Bats (L/R) | Right |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Okayama, Japan |
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was award the 2025 World Series MVP trophy after 17.2 dominant innings across three games of the series. He only allowed two earned runs during those three games.
Shota Imanaga (CHC)
Current MLB Team | Chicago Cubs (2024-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Yokohama DeNA BayStars |
Position(s) | Starting Pitcher |
Age | 32 |
MLB Debut Season | 2024 |
Bats (L/R) | Left |
Throws (L/R) | Left |
Birthplace | Kitakyushu, Japan |
Roki Sasaki (LAD)
Current MLB Team | Los Angeles Dodgers (2025-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Chiba Lotte Marines |
Position(s) | Pitcher |
Age | 24 |
MLB Debut Season | 2025 |
Bats (L/R) | Right |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Iwate, Japan |
Tomoyuki Sugano (COL)
Current MLB Team | Colorado Rockies (2026-Present) |
Past MLB Team(s) | Baltimore Orioles (2025) |
Last NPB Team | Yomiuri Giants |
Position(s) | Starting Pitcher |
Age | 36 |
MLB Debut Season | 2025 |
Bats (L/R) | Right |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Kanagawa, Japan |
Shinnosuke Ogasawara (WAS)
Current MLB Team | Washington Nationals (2025-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Chunichi Dragons |
Position(s) | Relief Pitcher |
Age | 28 |
MLB Debut Season | 2025 |
Bats (L/R) | Left |
Throws (L/R) | Left |
Birthplace | Fujisawa, Japan |
Munetaka Murakami (CWS)
Current MLB Team | Chicago White Sox (2026-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Tokyo Yakult Swallows |
Position(s) | Third Baseman |
Age | 26 |
MLB Debut Season | 2026 |
Bats (L/R) | Left |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Kumamoto, Japan |
Kazuma Okamoto (TOR)
Current MLB Team | Toronto Blue Jays (2026-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Yomiuri Giants |
Position(s) | Third Baseman |
Age | 29 |
MLB Debut Season | 2026 |
Bats (L/R) | Right |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Nara, Japan |
Tatsuya Imai (HOU)
Current MLB Team | Houston Astros (2026-Present) |
Last NPB Team | Saitama Seibu Lions |
Position(s) | Starting Pitcher |
Age | 27 |
MLB Debut Season | 2026 |
Bats (L/R) | Right |
Throws (L/R) | Right |
Birthplace | Kanuma, Japan |
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