SAPPORO - Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Hiromi Ito has been posted as he seeks a move to MLB during the offseason, the Pacific League club said Sunday.
The 29-year-old has had double-digit wins in all but one of his six professional years. He led the PL with 14 wins in 2024 and in 2025 when he won the Eiji Sawamura Award for the most outstanding starting pitcher in the Nippon Professional Baseball season.
"Playing in the majors has been a dream of mine since I was little, and one of the things that I've always aimed for," the Hokkaido native said through the Fighters. "I have a strong desire to play there from next season."
The Samurai Japan member at both the 2023 and this year's World Baseball Classic throws sharp breaking balls as well as fastballs exceeding 150 kilometers per hour.
Ito went 10-10 with a 3.18 ERA this past season, while his overall career record in NPB is 65-51 with a 2.92 ERA in 152 outings.
An NPB player can move to MLB either as an international free agent, a status gained after nine years as a professional, or through the posting system, under which his club agrees to accept a release fee if he signs abroad.
