Last year, he decided to end his 22-year active career Fukuoka Softbank ・Takei Wada pitcher. The left-hander, who joined the Fukuoka Daiei in the 2002 draft, showed off a spectacular performance in his rookie season. 11 years later, he exercised his overseas FA rights and challenged the Major Leagues. Fukuoka Softbank He returned to the NPB in 2004 and won 150 NPB games in 2010 and reached the NPB record of 2000 innings pitched in 2011. The Hawks He continued his career as a mainstay pitcher of the NPB, and had an excellent record.

His .643 winning percentage ranks fifth all-time among pitcher players who have pitched more than 2000 innings pitched innings. pitcher As one of the best left-handers in the NPB, his greatest weapon fastball is his well-rounded form. This is the main reason why he has been able to remain one of the best pitcher over the years.

fastball speed increases with age

Typically, pitcher' pitching speed gradually declines as they get older and approach the twilight years of their careers. However, pitcher 's fastball speed has continued to increase since he returned to the NPB in 2016 when he was in his late 30s, and in 2022, at the age of 41, he recorded his fastest pitch speed of 149km/h. In recent years, tracking systems have been installed in various stadiums, and pitch speeds are now displayed higher than in the past, but it is still surprising that his pitch speed has continued to improve after he turned 40. This is all thanks to his tireless efforts.

However, his average ball speed of 140km/h is not particularly fast in the world of professional baseball, even when you take into account that he is a left-handed pitcher. Nevertheless, the reason this pitch was his greatest weapon was because it exerted power beyond its speed.

The above table shows the average strikeout rate for fastball pitches by Pacific League pitcher last season, calculated by dividing the rate by pitch speed. This shows that there is a causal relationship in which the higher the pitch fastball, the higher the strikeout rate. Wada's pitcher was in the 140-144km/h range at its fastest, and his average strikeout rate for that speed range was 5.2%. However, his actual strikeout rate fastball pitches is far from that figure.

With a pitch speed in the low 140 km/h range, he recorded one of the highest strikeout rates in the league.

Wada pitcher recorded a very high fastball strikeout rate of 13.9% in 2009 and 12.5% in 2010. Even before coming to the U.S., he had a good strikeout rate of around 10%, but as his pitch velocity increased, his strikeout rate also improved, and in his later years, his numbers improved to one of the highest in the league. The numbers themselves are impressive, but note the other pitcher that are both ranked. Saitama Seibu ・ Kaima Taira pitcher and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham ・ Barhagen pitcher, Orix ・ Shumpeita Yamashita pitcher are all fastballers pitcher with average velocities of 150 km/h or more. You can clearly see how dissimilar his fastball was, as his strikeout rate was so much higher than that of the fastpitch pitcher, despite the difference of about 10 km/h in pitch speed.

It wasn't a smooth baseball professional life, he was plagued by repeated injuries in the majors, and even after returning to his old club, there was a period of time when he couldn't make it to the mound first team due to surgery and left shoulder pain. Even so, he continued to hone his fastball, which is his greatest weapon, and maintained his natural strike out ability until the end of his life. He has stole a total of 1,901 struck out in 2,099 2/3 innings in NPB, and his strike out rate of 8.15 is the fourth-best on the all-time list. It's a testament to the quality of his pitching throughout his 22-year professional baseball career.

pitcher Wada's retirement match will be held on Saturday, March 15 at MIZUHO PayPay Dome. A great left-hander who has supported the The Hawks and Japan baseball for a long time. Let's witness the heroic performance of the "NPB's last Matsuzaka generation".

*All figures in the text and table are as of the end of the 2024 season.

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