Daisuke Matsuzaka

Daisuke Matsuzaka (松坂 大輔, Matsuzaka Daisuke, [matsɯꜜzaka daꜜisɯ̥ke]; born September 13, 1980) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher, who pitched professionally for 23 seasons, 16 of them in NPB, 7 in MLB. He is currently a baseball color commentator, critic, reporter, and YouTuber. Daisuke is nicknamed "the Monster of the Heisei Era" (平成の怪物, heisei no kaibutsu)[1][2] in Japan and "Dice-K" in the United States[3] by The Boston Globe[4][5] and USA Today.[6] He played for the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Saitama Seibu Lions, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Quick facts: Daisuke Matsuzaka 松坂 大輔, Professional debut, ... ▼

Daisuke Matsuzaka 松坂 大輔
Matsuzaka with the New York Mets in 2014
Pitcher
Born: (1980-09-13) September 13, 1980 (age 42) Koto Ward, Tokyo, Japan
Batted: Right Threw: Right
Professional debut
NPB: April 7, 1999, for the Seibu Lions
MLB: April 5, 2007, for the Boston Red Sox
Last appearance
MLB: September 25, 2014, for the New York Mets
NPB: October 19, 2021, for the Saitama Seibu Lions
NPB statistics
Win–loss record	114–65
Earned run average	3.04
Strikeouts	1,410
MLB statistics
Win-loss record	56–43
Earned run average	4.45
Strikeouts	720
Teams
Seibu Lions (1999–2006) Boston Red Sox (2007–2012) New York Mets (2013–2014) Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2015–2016) Chunichi Dragons (2018–2019) Saitama Seibu Lions (2021)
Career highlights and awards
NPB Pacific League Rookie of the Year (1999) 3× NPB win leader (1999–2001) 4× NPB strikeout leader (2000–2001, 2003, 2005) 2× NPB ERA leader (2003–2004) Eiji Sawamura Award (2001) 3× NPB Best Nine Award (1999–2001) 7× Mitsui Golden Glove Award (1999–2001, 2003–2006) 7× NPB All-Star (1999–2001, 2004–2006, 2018) 2× Japan Series champion (2004, 2017) Comeback Player of the Year (2018) MLB World Series champion (2007) Japan National Team 2× World Baseball Classic champion (2006, 2009) 2× World Baseball Classic MVP (2006, 2009) 2x All-World Baseball Classic Team (2006, 2009) Other Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize (1999)
Medals Men's baseball Representing  Japan World Baseball Classic 2006 San Diego Team 2009 Los Angeles Team Olympic Games 2004 Athens Team Asian Baseball Championship 1999 Seoul Team 2003 Sapporo Team

Matsuzaka was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze medalist.[7]

He is the first player to have won both a World Series and a World Baseball Classic.[8]