Hideki Okajima, baseball player, 2007-2013

Hideki Okajima

Born: 12/25/1975 in Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

MLB Debut: 2007-04-02 | Final Game: 2013-06-13

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 195 lbs

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Biography

Hideki Okajima was a Japanese professional baseball pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during his career from 2007 to 2013. Born in 1975, Okajima gained attention for his unique pitching style, which combined a deceptive delivery with an effective array of pitches. He played a pivotal role in the Boston Red Sox bullpen, particularly during their successful 2007 season, contributing to the team’s World Series championship. Throughout his career, Okajima compiled a record of 17-8 with a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 3.09 over his tenure. He recorded 216 strikeouts and notched 6 saves, showcasing his effectiveness as a reliever. His performance earned him recognition, including an All-Star selection and the accolade of Rookie of the Month during his debut season. Okajima's arrival in MLB coincided with a growing interest in international players, particularly from Japan, as the league began to embrace talent from across the globe. His contributions not only solidified his place in Red Sox history but also paved the way for future generations of international players in the league.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
17 8 266 0 0 0 6 250.3 228 86 27 88 216 3.09 0

Career ERA 3.09 vs. league average 4.17 across their career seasons — 25.8% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
2007 BOS AL 3 2 66 0 0 0 5 69.0 50 17 17 63 2.22 4.47 (+50%) 2005.8
2008 BOS AL 3 2 64 0 0 0 1 62.0 49 18 23 60 2.61 4.32 (+40%) 1111.3
2009 BOS AL 6 0 68 0 0 0 0 61.0 56 23 21 53 3.39 4.32 (+21%) 195.0
2010 BOS AL 4 4 56 0 0 0 0 46.0 59 23 20 33 4.50 4.08 (-10%) -655.3
2011 BOS AL 1 0 7 0 0 0 0 8.3 7 4 5 6 4.32 — 0.0
2013 OAK AL 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 4.0 7 1 2 1 2.25 — 0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
266 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .260 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .000 vs. league average .328 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .409 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.000 vs. league average 0.737 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
2007 BOS AL 66 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 BOS AL 64 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2009 BOS AL 68 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2010 BOS AL 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2011 BOS AL 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2013 OAK AL 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
2009 ALDS2 BOS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2008 ALCS BOS 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2008 ALDS1 BOS 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2007 ALCS BOS 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2007 ALDS1 BOS 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2007 WS BOS 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
0 0 17 0 0 21.3 13 5 5 16 2.11

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2009 ALDS2 BOS 0 0 1 0 0 0.3 0 0 0 0 0.00
2008 ALCS BOS 0 0 5 0 0 7.3 1 0 1 5 0.00
2008 ALDS1 BOS 0 0 3 0 0 2.7 3 2 1 0 6.75
2007 ALCS BOS 0 0 3 0 0 5.0 4 0 2 3 0.00
2007 ALDS1 BOS 0 0 2 0 0 2.3 1 0 1 2 0.00
2007 WS BOS 0 0 3 0 0 3.7 4 3 0 6 7.36

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 266 0 13 34 1 2

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2007 BOS P 66 0 1 11 0 1
2008 BOS P 64 0 3 4 0 0
2009 BOS P 68 0 3 6 1 0
2010 BOS P 56 0 4 8 0 1
2011 BOS P 7 0 2 3 0 0
2013 OAK P 5 0 0 2 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 266

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2007 Rookie of the Month April
2007 This Year in Baseball Setup Man of the Year MLB.com GIBBY

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2010 BOS AL $2,750,000
2009 BOS AL $1,750,000
2008 BOS AL $1,275,000
2007 BOS AL $1,225,000
Total Career Earnings $7,000,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2007 Rookie of the Year AL 6th 3.0 140 0