There were few surprises as Japanese pro baseball’s final award announcements dropped on Friday, as Yakult Swallows third baseman Munetaka Murakami and Orix Buffaloes ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined some elite company by repeating as their leagues’ MVPs.
Yamamoto became the first back-to-back winner in the Pacific League since Ichiro Suzuki won from 1994 to 1996 for the Orix BlueWave. Three Hall of Famers round out the field of back-to-back PL winners, Nishitetsu Lions ace Kazuhisa Ino, Nankai Hawks catcher Katsuya Nomura and Hankyu Braves side-armer Hisashi Yamada.
In addition to becoming the fifth Central League player to win back-to-back MVPs and the first since Yoshihiro Maru won in 2017 and 2018 for the Hiroshima Carp, Murakami became the Japan’s first unanimous MVP since Masahiro Tanaka in 2013.
Pandering media rant alert
Although it’s only been nine years since Tanaka grabbed every first-place MVP vote, all the headlines in Japan’s media ignore him and instead say Murakami’s unanimous vote was the first since Sadaharu Oh in 1977 (among CL winners), because editors believe that headlines that can in any way be related to the Giants or a player of Oh’s stature, create clicks and generate revenue.
And, in becoming the seventh player run the MVP ballot in Japan, Murakami’s vote suggested one voter might be very confused about the meanings of the words “valuable” and “best.”
Murakami received 299 first-place votes for MVP, but just 298 in the ballot for the CL’s best third baseman, because one vote in the Best Nine ballot went to DeNA’s Toshiro Miyazaki. I can only assume that one voter thinks Murakami can be the best player at any position in the league, except for the one he plays. Miyazaki got two second-place votes, by the way.
Yamamoto received 255 first-place votes, seven seconds, and three thirds. Masataka Yoshida received seven of the remaining first-place votes, followed by Roki Sasaki with two, while Hotaka Yamakawa, Yuki Yanagita and Go Matsumoto each got one apiece.
Yamamoto led the PL for the second straight year in wins, winning percentage, complete games, strikeouts and ERA. He also led this season in innings pitched, and won his second straight Sawamura Award as Japan’s most impressive starting pitcher.
“Compared to last year, my form was more consistent and reliable,” Yamamoto said.
Ota, Mizukami win rookie honors
Taisei Ota of the Giants, who tied Japan’s rookie saves record with 37, joined his two predecessors, Yasuaki Yamasaki and Ryoji Kuribayashi in winning the CL’s Rookie of the Year Award.
Seibu’s Yoshinobu Mizukami, who tied teammate Kaima Taira for the PL’s largest sum of holds and relief wins, known as “Hold Points,” with 35.
It’s interesting to note that the CL’s winners were both selected in the first round in their draft year, while Yamamoto was a fourth-round pick and Mizukami was selected in the draft for non-roster developmental players.
