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Elite Professional Baseball Pitcher, 2-Time MLB All-Star & Olympic Gold Medalist • Japan
1988 — Living Icon
Masahiro Tanaka
田中 将大
Masahiro Tanaka is a legendary Japanese pitcher who achieved an unprecedented 24-0 undefeated season in NPB before starring for seven seasons with the New York Yankees, winning Olympic Gold at Tokyo 2020.
Standalone Editorial Biography & Legacy Guide
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Masahiro Tanaka: Biography, Historical Legacy, and Impact on November 1
Masahiro Tanaka is a legendary Japanese pitcher who achieved an unprecedented 24-0 undefeated season in NPB before starring for seven seasons with the New York Yankees, winning Olympic Gold at Tokyo 2020.
Read Full Editorial Biography & Historical Legacy →Life & Legacy Overview
Masahiro Tanaka was born on November 1, 1988, in Itami, Hyogo, Japan. Emerging as a high school baseball prodigy at Komadai Tomakomai High School in Hokkaido, Tanaka signed with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2007, instantly capturing the Pacific League Rookie of the Year award.
In 2013, Tanaka orchestrated the most dominant individual pitching campaign in baseball history: an astonishing 24-0 regular-season record with a 1.27 ERA, pitching the final inning of Game 7 to deliver Tohoku Rakuten their first Japan Series championship.
Signing a historic seven-year, $155 million contract with the New York Yankees in 2014, Tanaka earned two MLB All-Star selections and built a reputation as one of the postseason's most unshakeable clutch performers with a minuscule 1.76 career playoff ERA. In 2021, he returned home to Japan, leading Samurai Japan to the Olympic Gold Medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
In 2013, Tanaka orchestrated the most dominant individual pitching campaign in baseball history: an astonishing 24-0 regular-season record with a 1.27 ERA, pitching the final inning of Game 7 to deliver Tohoku Rakuten their first Japan Series championship.
Signing a historic seven-year, $155 million contract with the New York Yankees in 2014, Tanaka earned two MLB All-Star selections and built a reputation as one of the postseason's most unshakeable clutch performers with a minuscule 1.76 career playoff ERA. In 2021, he returned home to Japan, leading Samurai Japan to the Olympic Gold Medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Notable Works / Milestones:
- Achieved historic 24-0 undefeated season with Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2013
- Led Tohoku Rakuten to the 2013 Japan Series Championship, winning MVP honors
- Starred seven seasons with the New York Yankees, earning 2 MLB All-Star selections
- Compiled an extraordinary 1.76 career postseason ERA across 10 MLB playoff starts
- Won Olympic Gold Medal with the Japanese national baseball team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
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Key Historical Details
Category:
Famous People
Subcategory:
Birthday
Birthday:
November 1
(1988)
Birthplace:
Itami, Hyogo, Japan
Profession:
Elite Professional Baseball Pitcher, 2-Time MLB All-Star & Olympic Gold Medalist
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