Right-handed pitcher Hiromi Itoh was officially posted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.
The 29-year-old Itoh was widely expected to be posted this offseason. He has thrown 1,000 2/3 innings for the Fighters since he debuted in 2021 and struck out 902 batters with a 2.92 ERA.
Itoh will have 45 days from the official posting to sign with an MLB club.
In 2026, Itoh threw 172 2/3 innings over 26 starts with a 3.18 ERA and 159 strikeouts, while running a minuscule 4.7 percent walk rate. It was a slight step back from a dominant 2025 season, in which Itoh had a 2.52 ERA with 195 strikeouts in 196 2/3 innings and won the Sawamura Award, the NPB’s version of the Cy Young.
MLB.com’s Michael Clair profiled four NPB stars who could be posted, including Itoh, with feedback about his potential in the Majors.
“He could be an up and down starter,” the scout told Clair. “But maybe in relief he might show some more velocity. In the previous [World Baseball Classic], he came out of the bullpen and he was 94-96 [mph] with some nasty stuff.”