TOKYO - Nippon Professional Baseball's oldest active player, 46-year-old Yakult Swallows pitcher Masanori Ishikawa, will retire at the end of this season, a source with knowledge of the matter said Wednesday.
The left-hander has spent his entire professional career with the Swallows since debuting in 2002.
He has amassed 188 career wins and set a Japanese professional baseball record in April last year for winning a game in 24 consecutive seasons.
Standing just 167 centimeters, Ishikawa baffled opponents with his command and pitching guile.
He achieved double-digit wins in a season 11 times, including a streak of five consecutive years starting from his rookie season. He was the Central League's Rookie of the Year in 2002 and won the ERA title in 2008.
The Akita native managed only five wins over the three seasons through 2025. In his lone appearance this year, he lasted just a third of an inning against the Yomiuri Giants on Aug. 27, allowing six runs while troubled by shoulder pain.
