Baseball: Fighters' Sawamura Award-winning right-hander Ito posted
SAPPORO (Kyodo) -- Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Hiromi Ito has been posted as he seeks a move to MLB during the offseason, the Pacific League club
Nippon Ham Fighters' right-handed pitcher Hiromi Ito, 29, has been posted in search of a move to Major League Baseball (MLB) during the offseason, as reported by Kyodo on Sunday. Ito, who has maintained double-digit wins in all but one of his six professional seasons, led the Pacific League (PL) with 14 victories in 2024 and earned the Eiji Sawamura Award for the best starting pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2025.
Speaking from Hokkaido, Ito expressed his lifelong aspiration to play in MLB, stating, "Playing in the majors has been a dream of mine since I was little, and one of the things that I've always aimed for." Signed by the Samurai Japan team for the 2023 and this year's World Baseball Classic, Ito is known for his sharp breaking balls and fastballs exceeding 150 kilometers per hour.
This season, Ito went 10-10 with a 3.18 ERA, and his career record in NPB stands at 65-51 with a 2.92 ERA across 152 outings. An NPB player can transition to MLB via an international free agent status, gained after nine years of professional play, or through the posting system, where his club agrees to accept a release fee if he signs abroad.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
