Japan has had some of the best players in the world. One hit more home runs than anyone. One won every big award in his first year. Some came from the US and became heroes.
These pages tell their stories. Each one ends as of the 2025 season. New to NPB? Start with how NPB works.
Players
- Sadaharu Oh. The home run king, with 868. Read Sadaharu Oh: Japan’s Home Run King and His 868 Home Runs.
- Hideki Matsui. “Godzilla” of the Giants, from 1993 to 2002. Read Hideki Matsui’s Giants Years.
- Yu Darvish. The Fighters ace, from 2005 to 2011. Read Yu Darvish’s NPB Years.
- American stars. Randy Bass, Tuffy Rhodes, Wally Yonamine and more. Read Americans in NPB.