Terry Ito Column Vol.51 Will Masahiro Tanaka make a full comeback?

The 2025 Japanese professional baseball season has begun. Each team and their training camps are in full swing. The Yomiuri Giants' hottest prospect is Masahiro Tanaka, who transferred from Rakuten. He's dominating sports news, newspapers, and YouTube. Will he be able to achieve 200 wins in Japan and the US? Tanaka underwent surgery on his right elbow in 2023, which affected his condition last year, and he only pitched in one first-team game on September 28th. He started against Orix Buffaloes, but gave up six hits and four runs in five innings, resulting in a loss. This was the first time in his 18 years as a pro that Tanaka failed to win a first-team game, sparking speculation that he had reached his limits. During the offseason, his contract with the team fell apart, and he became a free agent.

After that, no other teams showed interest, raising concerns about his future, but he finally settled with the Yomiuri Giants. Thank you for making an effort to acquire him. If no other teams had made a bid, Japanese professional baseball as a whole would have been considered cold. After all, he is a legendary pitcher who will go down in baseball history. In fact, the Giants may be the best environment for Tanaka to make a comeback. During his time with Rakuten, Tanaka was a star in his own right. However, the Giants are home to big names like his elementary school classmate Hayato Sakamoto, senior Hisayoshi Nagano, and veteran Yoshihiro Maru. This should be a comfortable environment for him. Before training camp, he and Sakamoto, who was dissatisfied with last season's performance, discussed their strong determination for this season. Furthermore, Coach Kubo, the renowned coach who led Sugano to a 15-3 record last season, have been reported to be closely coaching Tanaka under the direction of Manager Abe. His new pitching form is gradually coming into its own. He has quickly blended into the team, and it is impressive to see him smiling more and more on the field every day. The young pitchers were reserved at first, but now they approach him during breaks and give him advice.

How much can we really expect from him this season? Three more wins would be enough to reach 200, but avoiding losses is just as important as winning. Looking at Tanaka's performance over the four years since returning from the Major Leagues, he had more losses than wins in each of those four seasons: 4 wins and 9 losses in 2021, 9 wins and 12 losses in 2022, 7 wins and 11 losses in 2023, and 0 wins and 1 loss in 2024. Looking at the numbers alone, a comeback would be no easy feat. Even with three wins, he could end up with six losses. Sugano's 15 wins would be even more impressive. However, Masahiro Tanaka fans, whose 24-0 record since the start of the 2013 season is still fresh in their minds, believe he will make a comeback. Of course, baseball isn't about relying on past glories, but it's also about dreams and fantasy. It's conceivable that once he recovers from his injury, he'll deliver some incredible pitching from the start of the season. Either way, we'll be keeping our eyes on Masahiro Tanaka.

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry