Kenta Maeda has come full-circle in his career, going from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan to Major League Baseball and back.
Maeda returned to pitch in NPB for the first time since 2015 with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on March 31, throwing four innings and striking out four batters, walking five, and allowing two runs in a 4-2 loss at Mobile Park Miyagi.
Kenta Maeda (cumple 38 años el próximo 11 de abril) hizo su debut con los Rakuten Golden Eagles, marcando su primera aparición en la #NPB desde el 7 de octubre de 2015, ¡3,828 días! El ex #Dodgers, ganador en dos ocasiones del Eiji Sawamura Award (2010 y 2015) con Hiroshima Toyo… pic.twitter.com/gaFdWZNX9L
— Drian Bernal ⚾️ / ???? (@Drianrogelio) March 31, 2026
Maeda, 37, is nearing the end of his career, having pitched only eight MLB innings with the Detroit Tigers last season. He was designated for assignment by the Tigers on May 1, 2025, and he pitched at Triple-A Iowa for the Chicago Cubs and Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre for the New York Yankees.
Maeda began his career in Japan with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, making his professional debut in 2008. He pitched eight seasons there, was a five-time NPB All-Star and won the pitching Triple Crown in 2010, becoming the youngest player to do so at age 22. Maeda also won five Mitsui Golden Glove Awards.
He pitched for Japan in the World Baseball Classic in 2013 and was named to the All-Tournament team. Japan finished third in the 2013 WBC, and Maeda also had a third-place finish in the WBSC Premier 12 in 2015 in Tokyo.
Maeda has pitched 1,552 ⅓ innings with 1,261 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.39 in NPB.
In 2016, he was posted by the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him for eight years and $25 million, with $10 million per year in incentives. Maeda was flawless in his MLB debut against the San Diego Padres, throwing six scoreless innings, and he hit a home run in that same game. He had a strong rookie season and finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year Award voting.
Maeda was a Dodger for four seasons, and he pitched in the postseason every year, which included back-to-back World Series losses in 2017 and 2018 to the Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox respectively. The Dodgers also used him out of the bullpen during both postseason runs.
Maeda was traded to the Minnesota Twins in the offseason prior to the 2020 season. The highlight of his Twins tenure was a no-hitter through eight innings that was broken up in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020. Maeda was with the Twins for four seasons, but missed the 2022 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Prior to the 2024 season, he signed a deal with the Detroit Tigers for two years and $24 million.
After the 2025 season, he signed a two-year deal with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. He pitched 986 ⅔ innings with 1,055 strikeouts and an ERA of 4.20 in his nine-year MLB career.
Photo: Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Kenta Maeda (18) delivers against the Minnesota Twins during the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt Krohn)
