Takashi Saito, baseball player, 2006-2012

Takashi Saito

Born: 2/14/1970 in Sendai, Miyagi, Japan

MLB Debut: 2006-04-09 | Final Game: 2012-09-30

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 200 lbs

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Biography

Takashi Saito was a prominent Japanese pitcher who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2006 to 2012. Born in 1970, Saito transitioned from a successful career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to the MLB, where he became known for his exceptional control and ability to close out games. Throughout his career, he recorded a win-loss record of 21-15 and posted an impressive earned run average (ERA) of 2.34. Saito's sharp breaking pitches and effective fastball allowed him to accumulate 400 strikeouts and secure 84 saves, showcasing his prowess as a reliable reliever. In 2008, Saito earned an All-Star selection, highlighting his status as one of the elite pitchers of his time. His contributions were especially notable during the late 2000s, a period marked by a powerful offensive era in baseball. Saito's success in the MLB not only emphasized his individual talent but also represented the growing influence of Japanese players in the league. After a career that spanned six seasons in North America, Saito retired in 2012, leaving behind a legacy as one of the more effective closers of his generation.

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
21 15 338 0 0 0 84 338.0 250 88 25 108 400 2.34 0

Career ERA 2.34 vs. league average 4.24 across their career seasons — 44.7% 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
2006 LAD NL 6 2 72 0 0 0 24 78.3 48 18 23 107 2.07 4.53 (+54%) -
2007 LAD NL 2 1 63 0 0 0 39 64.3 33 10 13 78 1.40 4.47 (+69%) -
2008 LAD NL 4 4 45 0 0 0 18 47.0 40 13 16 60 2.49 4.32 (+42%) -
2009 BOS AL 3 3 56 0 0 0 2 55.7 50 15 25 52 2.43 4.32 (+44%) 105.5
2010 ATL NL 2 3 56 0 0 0 1 54.0 41 17 17 69 2.83 4.08 (+31%) 2250.8
2011 MIL NL 4 2 30 0 0 0 0 26.7 21 6 9 23 2.02 3.94 (+49%) 363.3
2012 AZ NL 0 0 16 0 0 0 0 12.0 17 9 5 11 6.75 4.01 (-68%) -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
338 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.0

Career AVG .000 vs. league average .262 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OBP .000 vs. league average .329 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career SLG .000 vs. league average .414 across their career seasons — 100.0% below league average.

Career OPS 0.000 vs. league average 0.743 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
2006 LAD NL 72 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2007 LAD NL 63 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2008 LAD NL 45 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2009 BOS AL 56 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2010 ATL NL 56 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 — — — — 0.0
2011 MIL NL 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0
2012 AZ NL 16 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
10 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
2011 NLCS MIL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2011 NLDS2 MIL 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2009 ALDS2 BOS 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2008 NLDS1 LAN 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
2006 NLDS1 LAN 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1 0 10 0 0 10.7 9 2 0 9 1.69

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2011 NLCS MIL 0 0 3 0 0 4.0 2 0 0 3 0.00
2011 NLDS2 MIL 1 0 3 0 0 3.0 2 0 0 2 0.00
2009 ALDS2 BOS 0 0 1 0 0 1.0 2 0 0 0 0.00
2008 NLDS1 LAN 0 0 1 0 0 0.0 3 2 0 0 0.00
2006 NLDS1 LAN 0 0 2 0 0 2.7 0 0 0 4 0.00

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 338 0 14 33 1 8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
2006 LAN P 72 0 2 7 0 2
2007 LAN P 63 0 3 10 0 5
2008 LAN P 45 0 1 5 0 0
2009 BOS P 56 0 3 7 1 1
2010 ATL P 56 0 4 2 0 0
2011 MIL P 30 0 0 2 0 0
2012 ARI P 16 0 1 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 338

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
2007 Reliever of the Month August

Salary History

Year Team League Salary
2012 ARI NL $1,750,000
2011 MIL NL $1,750,000
2010 ATL NL $3,200,000
2009 BOS AL $1,500,000
2008 LAN NL $2,000,000
2007 LAN NL $1,000,000
Total Career Earnings $11,200,000

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
2006 Cy Young Award NL 8th 1.0 160 0
2006 Rookie of the Year NL 7th 2.0 160 0