Yomiuri Giants starter Masahiro Tanaka, aiming for his 200th win spanning Japan and the U.S. majors, pitches against the Chunichi Dragons during a Central League baseball game at Tokyo Dome on Sept. 30, 2025. (Kyodo)


TOKYO (Kyodo) — Former New York Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka on Tuesday earned the 200th win of his career spanning Japanese professional baseball and the U.S. big leagues, as he pitched the Yomiuri Giants to a 4-2 victory against the Chunichi Dragons.


He became just the fourth pitcher to reach a total of 200 Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball wins, following Hideo Nomo, Hiroki Kuroda and current San Diego Padres starter Yu Darvish.


The 36-year-old right-hander struck out four while allowing two runs on four hits and two walks to reach the milestone in front of the Giants’ home fans at Tokyo Dome.


Tanaka began his professional career in 2007 with the Rakuten Eagles and joined the Yankees in 2014, becoming a two-time American League All-Star and posting double-digit wins in his first six seasons.


He returned in 2021 to the Sendai-based Eagles, for whom he recorded 119 of his victories, before moving to the Giants this year.


Making his 10th start of the season, Tanaka (3-4) was able to work with an early lead after the Giants scored three runs in the bottom of the first.


He surrendered a two-run homer to Seiya Hosokawa in the top of the third but allowed only one other base runner through the remainder of his 85-pitch outing.


“I’m so happy,” Tanaka said. “It’s been a long time coming. Ever since I joined the Giants, I’ve wanted this win at our home stadium Tokyo Dome. I want to thank everyone who has been involved in my baseball career.”


Tanaka delivered his most outstanding season in Japan for Rakuten in 2013, the year before heading to MLB, going 24-0 and spearheading the Eagles to their first Japan Series championship.


He became an inspirational figure for the Eagles’ home region of Tohoku in northeastern Japan, which was still badly affected by the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami disaster.


The Hyogo Prefecture native had already become a household name by that time, with his performances at the national high school summer tournament at Koshien Stadium drawing attention across Japan.


Tanaka had hoped to finish his career with Rakuten but departed after being offered a significant pay cut following a lackluster 2024 in which injuries and poor form limited him to a single game with the top team and saw him go winless for the first time as a pro.


He overhauled his pitching form with the Giants, adopting an approach that placed less emphasis on strikeouts, and saw his performance gradually improve as the summer progressed. With Yomiuri headed to the postseason as the Central League’s third-place team, Tanaka could see a return to playoff baseball.


Off the field, Tanaka is married to Mai Satoda, a former pop idol and television personality. Their 2012 marriage has also kept the pitcher in the public eye, with the Japanese media often highlighting her support for his long career.