Ichiro Suzuki, a remarkable hitter with dazzling speed and arm strength, not only broke stereotypes during a career played across two continents but also blazed a trail for a generation of Japanese-born players in Major League Baseball.

Ichiro Suzuki began his U.S. professional career in Seattle with the Mariners and played a total of 14 seasons with the organization. Born in Japan, Ichiro played nine seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league before crossing the Pacific Ocean to join the Mariners.

Shohei Ohtani’s latest milestone is making headlines off the field as his 300th career home run ball hit the auction block in Leland’s 2025 Summer Classic. The baseball superstar reached 300 career home runs after first hitting 48 homers in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and then 252 in Major League Baseball.

News about Nippon Professional Baseball. Commentary and archival information about Nippon Professional Baseball from The New York Times.

Ichiro’s charisma accompanied an incredible performance on the field, one that came with no discernable adjustment period. Among his many accomplishments, he became only the second player in Major League history to win his league’s Rookie of the Year Award and MVP Award in the same year, joining Boston's Fred Lynn (1975).

Reflecting on his journey to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Ichiro Suzuki said choosing the difficult path meant he confronted challenges head-on, allowing him to develop his famed mental strength. When he was in the third year of elementary school,

As Nippon Professional Baseball begins its season after a 91-day delay, Zach Neal will be a rare foreign-born starter for the Saitama Seibu Lions. Skip to content Skip to site index.

Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher Tatsuya Imai was replaced after suffering heatstroke while pitching at a game held at the team's Belluna Dome stadium.