Kenta Maeda has thrown in the MLB and in Japan. He has led the league in victories twice and earned two Sawamura Awards through 2015.
He has also won three ERA championships and two strikeout championships. 2016 saw his signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Hiroshima Carp selected Maeda in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft out of high school. He was promoted to the Carp in 2008 after spending a year in the minors.
Maeda had a 3.20 ERA and a 9-2 record as a rookie. He also had a home run against Ryo Kawashima while hitting .182. He would have tied Yuya Ando for seventh place in the Central League had he been eligible.
2009 saw Maeda produce an 8-14, 3.36 record in his second season. With one fewer than Ryan Glynn, Kenta had the second-most losses in the league.
Also third in innings (193), third in hits allowed (194), fourth in home runs (22), eighth in complete games (3), tied with Daisuke Miura for the most runs allowed (82), third in strikeouts (147, behind Colby Lewis and Atsushi Nomi), and second in earned runs allowed (72, behind Masanori Ishikawa) were all Kazuki Yoshimi.
In 2010, Maeda significantly improved, going 15-8 (on a 58-84 club) with a 2.21 ERA. In 215 2/3 innings, he limited opponents to a .215 average and 46 walks for a WHIP under 1. He also struck out 174 hitters.
Is Kenta Maeda Injured?
Maeda is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery while on the 60-day injured list, but he plans to play again in September.