Fighters Ace
Drafted first in 2004 from Tohoku High School, the 190cm+ Darvish commanded 150+ km/h fastballs and 7+ pitch types including slider, curve, cutter, fork, changeup, and two-seam, making him virtually unpredictable for NPB hitters.
Five Consecutive Sub-2.00 ERA Seasons
From 2007-2011, Darvish posted ERAs of 1.82, 1.88, 1.73, 1.78, and 1.44, an extraordinary five-year stretch. He won two Sawamura Awards and one MVP, anchoring Nippon-Ham's 2006 and 2009 pennants as the undisputed ace.
MLB Career
Posted to the Rangers in 2012, Darvish won 16 games as a rookie and surpassed 100 MLB wins across stints with the Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs, and Padres. His 2022 Padres season (16-8, 3.10 ERA at age 36) showed remarkable longevity.
Legacy
NPB totals of 93-38 with a 1.99 ERA rank among the best ever for qualified pitchers. Combined NPB-MLB wins approach 200. Before Ohtani's two-way revolution, Darvish was the definitive proof that NPB's best pitchers compete at the world's highest level.