Yu Darvish

Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish
	Darvish with the San Diego Padres in 2022
San Diego Padres – No. 11
	Pitcher
	Born: 16 August 1986 (age 38); Habikino, Osaka, Japan
	Bats: Right Throws: Right
Professional debut
	NPB: June 15, 2005, for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
	MLB: April 9, 2012, for the Texas Rangers
NPB statistics ; (through 2011 season)
Win–loss record	93–38
Earned run average	1.99
Strikeouts	1,250
MLB statistics ; (through May 29, 2024)
Win–loss record	107–88
Earned run average	3.58
Strikeouts	1,982
Teams
	Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2005–2011); Texas Rangers (2012–2014, 2016–2017); Los Angeles Dodgers (2017); Chicago Cubs (2018–2020); San Diego Padres (2021–present);
Career highlights and awards
	NPB 2× Pacific League MVP (2007, 2009); Eiji Sawamura Award (2007); Japan Series champion (2006); 3× Pacific League strikeout title (2007, 2010, 2011); 2× Pacific League ERA title (2009, 2010); 2× Pacific League Best Nine Award (2007, 2009); 2× Pacific League Mitsui Golden Glove Award (2007, 2008); 2006 Asia Series MVP; 5× NPB All-Star (2007–2011); 2007 PLCS Second Stage MVP; MLB 5× All-Star (2012–2014, 2017, 2021); All-MLB First Team (2020); NL wins leader (2020); AL strikeout leader (2013);
Medals
Representing Japan
Men's Baseball
World Baseball Classic
Asian Baseball Championship

Faridoon Yu Darvish Sefat (ダルビッシュ・セファット・ファリドン.ド・有, Darubisshu Sefatto Faridoon Yū, born 16 August 1986), more commonly known as Yu Darvish (ダルビッシュ有), is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). Darvish has also played in MLB for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Chicago Cubs and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. In international play, Darvish pitched in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the Japan national baseball team.^[1]

He was considered by many to be the best pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball prior to his arrival in Major League Baseball in 2012.^[2]^[3] In his first MLB season, Darvish finished third in the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year balloting. The next season, he finished second in the AL Cy Young Award vote as he led the Major Leagues in strikeouts with 277 and finished fourth in the AL in earned run average (ERA) at 2.83. On 6 April 2014, Darvish reached the 500-strikeout mark in fewer innings pitched than any starting pitcher in MLB history.