Major Leaguer resume Vol.58/WBC Player’s resume Vol.44:Yu Darvish (San Diego Padres):Major Candidate for Team Japan:“Breaking ball magician!”

Story:
Today's player's resume concerns the San Diego Padres starting pitcher, Yu Darvish. He was born in Japan and has announced his commitment to Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The KAISPO's baseball analyst commented,
"Darvish is a pitcher who strongly prefers to develop breaking balls. He seems more like breaking balls than baseball itself. Darvish can throw various breaking pitches because of his supple arm flexion and snappy fastball. It could be problematic for hitters to catch him on their first look. He has started all 242 games he has appeared in the major, and 60% of them have been Quality Starts, winning 95 and marking a 1.13 WHIP. The righty is one of the MLB's leading starting pitchers who could win the Cy Young Award any time."

Yu Darvish was selected by the Hokkaido Nippoham Fighters in the first pick of the 2004 NPB(Nippon Professional Baseball) draft. He appeared in 167 games, going 93-38 with a 1.99 ERA and striking out 1250 for seven seasons in Japan.

Darvish signed with the Texas Rangers to start his MLB career on January 18th, 2012. He has played for the Rangers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres.

He made his big league debut with Texas against the Seattle Mariners at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on April 9th, 2012. He tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing eight hits, five earned runs, and fanning five batters to pick up his first career victory in an 11-5 win. He got his first strikeout from Dustin Ackley and gave up his first hit with a single to left field to Ichiro Suzuki. He finished his first season with 16-9 with a 3.90 and 221 strikeouts in 29 starts.

The 36-year-old right-handed pitcher led the American League in strikeouts with 277  and ranked second in the Cy Young Award Voting in 2013. Darvish missed the 2015 season due to undergoing Tommy John Surgery on the ailing right elbow in March and suffered his right arm injury the next three seasons.

After regaining his form later in the 2019 season, in 2020, the pandemic-shortened season, the 5-time All-Star started in 12 contests, marking 8-3 to become the first Japanese-born pitcher with the winningest with a 2.01 ERA(second best in the National League) and striking out 93(fourth most in the League). In 2022, the righty had 16 wins to tie his best in his rookie year, sending San Diego to the postseason.
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At the end of the 2022 season, Yu Darvish has been 95-75 with a 3.50 ERA over 242 starts covering 1488 frames, striking out 1788  for his 11 major league seasons.
(MLB No.322 KAISPO No.1503)