Check Japan’s WBC roster, and one thing you will see is that it doesn’t just look like a title contender, but also sneaks in a few low-key ninjas. Team USA, for the most part, is stacked with familiar MLB stars, names everyone already knows. Japan, though, plays it a little differently. Sure, the spotlight naturally lands on Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but it’s the lesser-known guys who might end up doing the most damage.

And one of the biggest reasons for that is Hiromi Itoh. He’s not a household name, especially outside Japan, but his four-seam fastball and overall presence made him a real problem for opposing lineups. So, let’s take a closer look at who Itoh is and how he burst onto the WBC stage and caught the baseball world off guard.

Who is Hiromi Itoh? Everything to know

Hiromi Itoh, born on August 31, 1997, is a right-handed pitcher who suits up for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in NPB. He throws right-handed, hits left-handed, and hails from Kayabe in Hokkaido. He worked his way up through the local amateur baseball scene before making a big splash in the 2020 NPB Draft, where the Fighters took him first overall out of Tomakomai Komazawa University.

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He’s remained with Nippon-Ham ever since, and the 2023 WBC marked his first real chance to introduce himself on the international stage. “Though they aren’t MLB players, keep an eye on Hiromi Itoh, the reigning Sawamura Award winner,” MLB.com reported about Itoh!

Who are Hiromi Itoh’s parents?

Well, Itoh grew up in a family of fishermen, with both his father, Kiyomitsu, and his grandfather, Kiyokazu, working the waters of Uchiura Bay. While there’s limited information available about his mother, he has one older sister and a younger brother. Hence, he naturally took on a bit of a leadership role early on.

Baseball grabbed Itoh’s attention when he was still a kid, sparked by watching and admiring Yu Darvish. Even though his father had no baseball background and had actually been steered away from the sport by his own father, he fully bought into Hiromi’s dream. He showed up, helped out at practices with the local youth team, and made sure his son always felt supported. That early family backing is really where the Hiromi Itoh story begins.

When did he get married?

There’s no public or verified information available about Hiromi Itoh’s marriage status.

Hiromi Itoh, baseball contract, salary, and net worth

While Itoh is signed with the Fighters, there’s no public or verified information available about his salary or net worth.

Inside his professional career

Itoh’s professional journey started when he was signed by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters with their first-round pick in the 2020 NPB Draft. Then, not long after, he officially signed on December 1, 2020. His rookie deal came with a hefty 100 million yen signing bonus, plus up to another 50 million yen tied to performance incentives.

By 2023, Itoh had firmly established himself as a reliable starter for the Fighters. And that same year also marked his first appearance on the WBC stage. Used out of the bullpen, he made three relief outings and scored 2.1 scoreless innings, three strikeouts, no hits, no walks, and nothing across the plate against him. Now the big question is whether he can carry that same level of dominance into this year as well.