Junichi Tazawa is a 5’11”, 180 lb. right handed pitcher from Yokohama, Japan. He’s the only one to appear in the major leagues from that location. Born on June 6th, 1986, the Boston Red Sox signed him as an undrafted amateur free agent in 2008, for $1,800,000.
Tazawa went 9-7 in 20 starts in Boston’s minor league system in 2009, with a 2.55 ERA, 94 strikeouts in 109 innings, and a 1.04 WHIP between the double-A Portland Sea Dogs, in the Eastern League, and the Pawtucket Red Sox, in the triple-A International League (IL). On August 7th of that year, he joined Boston, and went 2-3 with a 7.