Masahiro Tanaka
Videos
Masahiro Tanaka is a Japanese professional baseball player for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). From 2007 through 2013, he played for the Eagles in NPB. Tanaka was posted by the Eagles after the 2013 season to be signed with the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB) and signed a seven-year, $155 million contract, the fifth-largest deal ever given to a pitcher at the time. He made his major league debut in 2014 and played for the Yankees through the 2020 season, before deciding to return to Japan.
Scoreboard at Koshien Stadium in finals rematch
Tanaka as a pitcher for Tomakomai High (taken August 17, 2006, at Koshien Stadium)
Tanaka pitching for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2007
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is an annual Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) award given to two outstanding players, one each for the Central League (CL) and Pacific League (PL).
Eiji Sawamura won the first Japanese Baseball League MVP award before NPB was formed in 1950.
Victor Starffin was the first player to win multiple MVP awards.
Tetsuharu Kawakami was one of only two players to win the award before and after the formation of NPB.