Hiromi Itoh a question mark despite strong NPB performance

From a statistical standpoint, major league teams should be interested in Hiromi Itoh.

Itoh has been a solid part of the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters rotation over the past six years, posting a 2.92 ERA and a 1.169 WHIP over his 1,000.2 innings, striking out 902 batters with 245 walks. The 2025 Sawamura Award winner (the NPB version of the Cy Young award) had a solid showing in 2026, posting a 3.18 ERA and a 1.263 WHIP over his 172.2 innings, striking out 159 batters with 34 walks.

Itoh's best traits may be his durability and his command of his arsenal. He has pitched at least 140 innings in each of his six seasons with the Fighters and is considered to have plus control. Although his 69 home runs allowed are a bit high in the NPB dead ball era, that could be an effect of pitching at Es Con Field, which is regarded as the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the league.

Hiromi Itoh may be back of the rotation starter at best in MLB

There are questions about Itoh's ability to withstand a major league workload despite his durability in Japan. He is only 5'9" and weighs 180 pounds, a small stature for a major league starter. 

Itoh's arsenal does not particularly stand out either. He is considered to have 13 distinct pitches, but his slider and splitter may be the only offerings that are at least considered average. His four-seam fastball sits in the low 90s, although it did reach 96 MPH during his relief stints in the World Baseball Classic. He fills the strike zone with all of his offerings, including his splitter which had a 68% zone rate. 

At best, Itoh could be a back-of-the-rotation starter, someone who can take the ball every fifth day and provide five or six decent innings each time out. He could also end up in a long relief/spot starter role where his arsenal could play up in shorter stints. Itoh is worthy of a look stateside, but his overall ceiling may be limited.