{
  "id": 17398113,
  "title": "Japanese right-handed pitcher Kaima Taira set to move to Major League Baseball",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/japanese-right-handed-pitcher-kaima-taira-set-to-move-to-major-league",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-31T12:12:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/japanese-handed-pitcher-kaima-taira-121245263.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Japanese right-handed pitcher Kaima Taira is set to move to Major League Baseball (MLB). His current team, the Seibu Lions, has granted him permission to pursue a career abroad through the posting system. At 26 years old, Taira had an impressive season in Japan, going 12-5 with a remarkable 1.36 ERA. His career record in Japan stands at 37-24. Speaking to Kyodo, Taira expressed his aspiration to win a Cy Young award and pitch in the World Series. In 2025, he recorded 31 saves for the Lions. This news follows another Japanese player, Teruaki Sato, who recently announced his intention to join American baseball. Sato had a standout season, hitting 39 home runs and amassing 106 RBIs. Japanese players have made significant contributions to MLB, especially in the past three decades. Ichiro Suzuki, a former Mariners star, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. In 2025, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto helped the Los Angeles Dodgers secure their first repeat World Series championship in a quarter-century, with Ohtani winning his fourth MVP award and Yamamoto earning the World Series MVP.",
  "summary": "TOKYO (AP) — Japanese right-hander Kaima Taira wants to move to Major League Baseball.His team, the Seibu Lions, announced it will allow him to pursue a career in MLB via the posting system that allows certain players to sign abroad.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Saunier, Best-Alston help Dartmouth beat Harvard 24-14, move into tie atop Ivy League",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/saunier-best-alston-help-dartmouth-beat-harvard-24-14-move-into-tie-17328476",
        "published": "2026-10-31T02:37:50.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}