200 wins and the Meikyukai standard
The Meikyukai was founded in 1978 at the initiative of Masaichi Kaneda. Its pitching standard is 200 career wins, with 250 career saves added in 2003 to recognize relief pitchers.
Only NPB official-game career totals count; MLB stats are not added. Reaching 200 wins proves a pitcher stayed at the front of a rotation and kept winning for well over a decade.
Only 24 pitchers have made it (as of 2026)
As of 2026, 24 pitchers have reached 200 wins in NPB. The career record is Masaichi Kaneda's 400 wins, and most members starred in the 1950s-70s, such as Kazuhisa Inao (276), Tetsuya Yoneda (350), Masaaki Koyama (320) and Keishi Suzuki (317).
The most recent to reach the mark was Masa Yamamoto in 2008; no pitcher has joined since.
Why 200 wins is so hard in the modern game
In the 2020s NPB, rotations run on six days' rest, starters make only 25-28 starts a year and typically leave around 100 pitches. Complete games have collapsed, and even a 15-win season has become hard to achieve.
Even at 13 wins every year, 200 would take 16 seasons - which is why the mark is becoming effectively unreachable, especially with careers interrupted by moves to MLB.
How to read this tracker
The reference table below is a mechanical extraction from official npb.jp records of active pitchers whose career wins are at least 75% of the 200-win standard. No manual curation is applied. Always check npb.jp for the definitive latest figures.
Reference data (tallied from npb.jp official records)
The table below is reference data tallied mechanically from official npb.jp records. Source: Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) official site.
Data as of 2026-07-26 (npb.jp)
| Player | Team | Current | To go |
|---|---|---|---|
| 石川 雅規 | 東京ヤクルトスワローズ | 188 | 12 |
| 岸 孝之 | 東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス | 172 | 28 |
| 涌井 秀章 | 中日ドラゴンズ | 168 | 32 |
Frequently asked questions
Is 200 wins the Meikyukai membership standard?
Yes. The pitching standard is 200 career wins or 250 career saves (added in 2003), counting NPB official games only.
Who was the last pitcher to reach 200 wins?
Masa Yamamoto, in 2008. No pitcher has reached the mark since.
What is the NPB career wins record?
Masaichi Kaneda's 400 wins - a record considered effectively unbreakable.