Seigi Tanaka

Seigi Tanaka (田中 正義)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 190 lbs.

• School Soka University
• High School Soka High School

• Born July 19, 1994 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Seigi Tanaka has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Tanaka represented Japan in the 2014 Haarlem Baseball Week and 2015 Universiade. Five teams selected him in the first round of the 2016 NPB draft, and the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks won the lottery. However, the talented pitcher injured his right hand again and again, so he only had 11 appearances combined in his first four seasons with the big club. Tanaka also played for the Gigantes de Carolina after the 2019 season. He had 10 relief outings with a solid 2.16 ERA in 2021, but then had a right shoulder injury in 2022 so he only pitched 5 games with the big club.

When the Hawks signed Kensuke Kondo in 2022, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters selected Tanaka as compensation. The Fighters turned him into a full-time reliever, and this decision saved his career. Tanaka became their closer, and he was selected into the 2023 NPB All-Star Game; he pitched a inning, with a homer by Toshiro Miyazaki, in Game 1. Tanaka ended up notching 25 saves with a 3.50 ERA, and ranked 5th in the Pacific League in saves (14 behind Yuki Matsui). He extended his solid performance in 2024, and he collected 20 saves and 12 holds in 53 appearances with a 2.17 ERA. He was 2nd in games (1 behind Takahiro Norimoto) and 6th in saves (between Andres Machado and Yuki Matsumoto). He was voted into the 2024 NPB All-Star Game, and he completed a shutout inning in the 9th inning of Game 1 despite allowing 2 hits to Kazuma Okamoto and Hiroki Tokoda.

Tanaka again was voted into the 2025 NPB All-Star Game, and he pitched a shutout inning in Game 2 with a strikeout against Shogo Sakakura. He shared the closer spot with Taisei Yanagawa, and he still collected 13 saves and 12 holds with a 1.32 ERA in 49 relief outings. Tanaka was 5th in saves, behind Kaima Taira, Kazuki Sugiyama, Narimoto and Machado.

His repertoire features a fastball that peaks at 97.5 mph, a forkball and a slider