Daisuke MatsuzakaElsa/Getty Images
15. OF Dave Roberts (1999-2008)
832 G, 89 OPS+, .266/.342/.366, 171 XBH (23 HR), 213 RBI, 243 SB, 9.1 WAR
Roberts attended high school in the United States and was drafted from UCLA in 1994, but he was born in Naha, Japan, where his father was stationed in the Marines. The speedy outfielder is best known for stealing second base in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees, which sparked a steal for the Red Sox, and he had five seasons with at least 30 stolen bases during his 10-year career. Ta.
14. RP Hideki Okajima (2007-13)
266 G, 6 SV, 3.09 ERA (149 ERA+), 1.26 WHIP, 216 K, 250.1 IP, 6.9 WAR
Okajima, who signed a somewhat obscure player in the same year that the Red Sox made a serious bid to acquire Daisuke Matsuzaka, was an All-Star as a rookie in 2007, posting a 2.22 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 5 saves and a hold. was selected. Appeared in 66 games. He spent three seasons in Boston as a lights-out setup man, closing the gap on Jonathan Papelbon in the final innings.
13. RP Akinori Otsuka (2004-07)
236 G, 39 SV, 2.44 ERA (171 ERA+), 1.116 WHIP, 217 K, 232.0 IP, 6.6 WAR
Otsuka had 137 saves in seven years in Japan before joining the Padres ahead of his age-32 season. He played in 73 games, posting a 1.75 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 10.1 K/9, 2 saves and 34 holds, and finished third in the 2004 National League Rookie of the Year voting. After two seasons in San Diego, he was traded to the Rangers for Adrian González and then to the Padres. In his first year at Texas, he had 32 saves on the season.
12. OF Nori Aoki (2012-17)
758 G, 102 OPS+, .285/.350/.387, 190 XBH (33 HR), 219 RBI, 98 SB, 10.3 WAR
Possessing a powerful combination of contact skills and speed, Aoki spent six years in the majors with the Brewers, Royals, Giants, Mariners, Astros, Blue Jays and Mets. His best season was his rookie year in 2012, when he batted .288/.355/.433 with a 109 OPS+, 37 doubles, 10 home runs, 50 RBI, 81 RBI, 30 stolen bases, and 3.2 WAR in 151 games. Recorded. In 3,044 total at-bats, he had almost as many walks (234) as strikeouts (258).
11.SP Daisuke Matsuzaka (2007-14)
158 G, 132 GS, 56-43, 4.45 ERA (99+ ERA), 1.40 WHIP, 720 K, 790.1 IP, 9.4 WAR
No international player has come to the United States with as much hype as “Dice-K,” who signed a six-year, $52 million contract after the Red Sox paid a $51.1 million posting fee for negotiating rights. There are very few promising players. As a rookie, he helped the Red Sox win the World Series, pitching 204.2 innings with a 15-12 record, a 4.40 ERA, and 201 strikeouts. He achieved a score of 2.90. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting. That was his peak, and from there he made a huge impact in those two healthy seasons, although injuries derailed his career.
