Hiroki Kuroda

Hiroki Kuroda is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher known for his career in both Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and Major League Baseball (MLB). Kuroda began his career with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, where he established himself as a leading starter in the Central League. During his tenure with the Carp, he led the league in wins and earned both the Best Nine Award and the Golden Glove. Kuroda also posted a Central League-best 1.85 ERA and contributed to Japan's bronze medal win at the Summer Olympics with the national baseball team.

Kuroda transitioned to MLB by signing a three-year, $35.3 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after 11 seasons in Hiroshima. He quickly adapted to the league, becoming the first rookie Dodgers pitcher since Orel Hershiser to carry a perfect game into the eighth inning. Kuroda was the only Dodgers pitcher in a specific postseason to win more than one game during that period. After four seasons with the Dodgers, he joined the New York Yankees, where he maintained consistent performance, including a 16–11 record with a 3.32 ERA in his first season. Over seven years in MLB with the Dodgers and Yankees, Kuroda posted an above-average ERA+ each season and averaged 30 starts and 188 innings per year.

Kuroda returned to the Hiroshima Toyo Carp to conclude his career, delivering strong performances, including a 2.55 ERA over 26 starts. He became the highest-paid player in NPB at age 41. Across both leagues, Kuroda recorded 203 wins. Among Japanese-born MLB players, he ranks third in starts, innings, and wins, following Hideo Nomo and Yu Darvish.

Kuroda's legacy includes his loyalty to the Carp, with his number 15 retired by the team. He was appointed UNITAR Goodwill Ambassador to promote peace and reconstruction in Hiroshima and was inducted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame alongside Motonobu Tanishige. Kuroda is the second Dodgers pitcher to be voted into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame, joining Hideo Nomo.