Hisashi Iwakuma Tosses a No-Hitter

August 13, 2015

 No-hitters in the Major Leagues are not the rarest thing to happen, but every so often, someone throws one that takes notice. Hasashi Iwakuma of the Seattle Mariners hurled a no-no against the Baltimore Orioles in a 3-0 victory on Wednesday, August 12th. Iwakuma became only the second Japanese-born pitcher to throw a no-hitter in MLB history. The first Japanese pitcher to throw one was Hideo Nomo of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Iwakuma, a 34-year-old right hander in his fourth season with the Mariners, also threw his first complete game. If you get a chance to see him pitch, you can't help noticing the unorthodox wind up that is unique in itself. His 6-foot, 3-inch frame stalls at the top of his delivery, then he unhinges his knee a couple of times before he completes the windup. Iwakuma, like Nomo, showcases his split-fingered fastball that is his strike-out pitch. The key to his success, like most no hitters, was the ability to get first-pitch strikes. He then was able to mix his array of pitches with consistent velocity and location.

Iwakuma's no hitter was the 291st in MLB history and first this season in the American League. The last twelve no hitters have been thrown in the National League. Just think, if the Designated Hitter was in the National League, we might never see another no-hitter. There have been five thrown this year in total, which is above average. 

Iwakuma is part of a growing trend of pitchers coming over from the Far East. There are more position players from the Far East, but like Latin America, the pitchers are coming over more and more. Teams can land seasoned veterans from other countries, which can be financially risky, but the reward is also high. There is often a bidding war for some of these players, which inflates the cost for all the foreign players. Owners are always looking for the next Nomo, Yaseil Puig, or the Ichiro Suzuki, hoping they are ready to play at the MLB level.