Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally,it is often called Puro Yakyū (プロ野球),meaning simply Professional Baseball;outside of Japan,NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball."
The Tokyo Yakult Swallows are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku,Tokyo,they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo,the other being the Yomiuri Giants. They have won 9 Central League championships and 6 Japan Series championships. Since 1964,they play their games at Meiji Jingu Stadium.
Matthew Henry Murton is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs,Oakland Athletics,and Colorado Rockies. Murton also played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers.
Randall Jerome Messenger is an American former professional baseball pitcher,best known for his time with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball. He is 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) tall and weighs 265 pounds (120 kg). He made his Major League debut on June 22,2005 for the Florida Marlins. Messenger graduated from Sparks High School in 1999.
Wladimir Ramon Balentien,nicknamed "Coco",is a Curaçaoan-Dutch professional baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Dayán Viciedo Pérez is a Cuban professional baseball infielder for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox.
Kei Igawa is a former Japanese left-handed pitcher. He played for the Hanshin Tigers and Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He led all pitchers in the Central League for strikeouts in 2002,2004 and 2006. He also played in the 2006 Major League Baseball Japan All-Star Series. Although he has not announced his retirement,Igawa does not belong to any professional team.
Takahiro Arai is a Japanese-Korean former professional baseball player. He is the manager of Hiroshima Toyo Carp in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball from the 2023 season.
Suguru Egawa is a Japanese former pitcher and current baseball analyst. Despite being one of the best pitchers of his generation,Egawa's perceived arrogance and non-conformist ways earned him the media nicknames "Dirty Egawa," "The Giant Devil," and "The Enemy of the People." This was because Egawa was single minded for the team he wanted to play for,which was the Yomiuri Giants,and the way on how he decided to try and sign with them.
Takashi Toritani is a Japanese former professional baseball player,baseball commentator,baseball critic,coach.
Tomoaki Kanemoto is a Japanese former professional baseball outfielder and manager. In his career as a player he spent 11 years with the Hiroshima Carp before moving to the Hanshin Tigers in 2003,where he spent another 10 years. He holds the world record for consecutive games played without missing an inning and consecutive innings.
Efrén Navarro is a Mexican-American professional baseball first baseman and left fielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers. He also plays on the Mexico national baseball team.
Matthew Donald Hague is an American former professional baseball first baseman and current assistant hitting coach for the Toronto Blue Jays. Between 2012 and 2016,he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Toronto Blue Jays,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers. Prior to beginning his professional career,he played college baseball at the University of Washington and Oklahoma State. In early 2020,he joined the Blue Jays organization as a coach.
Mauro Alexis Gómez Acosta is a Dominican former professional baseball first baseman.
Shintaro Fujinami is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles,and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers.
Shogo Akiyama is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Saitama Seibu Lions.
Steven Moya is a Puerto Rico born-Dominican Republic professional baseball outfielder for the TSG Hawks of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chunichi Dragons and Orix Buffaloes.
American expatriate baseball players in Japan have been a feature of the Japanese professional leagues since 1934. American expatriate players began to steadily find spots on Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) rosters in the 1960s. More than 600 Americans have played NPB,although very few last more than a single season in Japan.
Sheldon Lynn Neuse is an American professional baseball infielder for the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics. He played college baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Orix Buffaloes. Yamamoto is a three-time Pacific League Most Valuable Player,Eiji Sawamura Award,and a three-time Triple Crown winner. Yamamoto is the first player in the history of professional baseball to win the Triple Crown in three consecutive years.
