Entered the professional ranks from his local Narita High School

On September 4, Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Yuki Karakawa announced his retirement from active play at the end of this season. Pitcher Karakawa joined Chiba Lotte from his local Narita High School and played for The Marines for 19 years. He spent his entire baseball life in Chiba, including his amateur days, and was a figure who received strong support from the fans.

This time, we will introduce the records Pitcher Karakawa achieved in NPB and the steps of his career, which shone as he overcame battles with injuries. In addition, we will look at three famous scenes left by Pitcher Karakawa along with footage from Pacific League TV, and look back once again on the success of the right-hander who was loved by Chiba fans. (*Stats are as of the end of the game on September 13)

Active as a starting pitcher since his first year out of high school

The annual statistics recorded by pitcher Karakawa to date are as follows.

Pitcher Karakawa joined the Chiba Lotte Marines as the first-round pick in the 2007 high school draft. In 2008, his first year out of high school, he started 15 games for the first team and earned 5 wins. The following year, in 2009, he delivered a brilliant performance for a second-year high school graduate, recording an ERA of 3.64 and a K/BB of 4.11 over 143.1 innings. In 2010, despite being limited to 11 games due to injury, he pitched well with an ERA of 2.71 and contributed to the team's Japan Series title as a member of the starting rotation.

He continued to make starts thereafter, and in 2011, he pitched a career-high 168.1 innings with a strong ERA of 2.41. He enjoyed a career-best season, recording a personal high of 12 wins. Although he faced many seasons plagued by injuries, he remained a mainstay pitcher for a long time, throwing 168 innings to earn 9 wins in 2013 and showing stable pitching with an ERA of 2.84 in 2016.

He converted to a reliever midway through 2018, demonstrating high aptitude that same year with an ERA of 2.83 over 25 games. In 2020, he showed outstanding stability with 15 hold points and an ERA of 1.19 across 32 games, and in 2021, he excelled as a set-up man with an ERA of 2.72 and a career-high 26 hold points in 38 games. As a member of the bullpen, he worked hard to support the team as they engaged in championship races for two consecutive years.

From 2022 onwards, his appearances with the first team decreased, but in 2024, when he fully converted back to a starter, he delivered exceptionally high-quality pitching with an ERA of 2.37 and a K/BB of 10.33 over 8 games. On September 23 of the following year, 2025, he showcased the brilliant pitching described later to earn a win, continuing to exert a presence in various moments even after entering the veteran stage of his career.

From here, I would like to pick out three particularly impressive scenes from the pitches shown by Pitcher Karakawa and introduce them along with footage from Pacific League TV.

In his first professional match against Sho Nakata, a classmate from the 'Big 3 High School,' he took the struck out (August 12, 2010)

Both pitcher Karakawa and Sho Nakata garnered significant attention during the 2007 high school draft and were evaluated as the 'High School Big 3' alongside Yoshinori Sato. Then, in August 2010, during their third professional year, the first matchup between the two heroes finally took place. Nakata hung on by hitting fouls against pitcher Karakawa's pitches, and after a fierce battle spanning seven pitches, the victory went to pitcher Karakawa, who struck out his same-year rival swinging with an inside ball.

9 innings, 10 strike outs, and 0 runs against the Fukuoka Softbank lineup (October 15, 2011)

In this game, 22-year-old pitcher Karakawa, in his fourth professional year, faced the Fukuoka Softbank lineup that would go on to become the champions of Japan that season. Amidst a tense pitching duel with Toshiya Sugiuchi, he utilized his excellent control and variations in speed to deliver a pitch sequence that prevented the hitters from narrowing down their targets. He pitched through the 9th inning, recording 10 strike outs and zero runs in a dominant performance to earn his 11th win of the season, demonstrating his high level of ability as a pitcher.

With the skillful pitch technique of an 18-year pro, he held the opponent to zero runs over 7 innings as the closer, recording his 82nd career win (September 23, 2025).

In 2025, his 18th year as a professional, pitcher Karakawa made his second appearance of the season. Unlike in his younger days, he baffled the Saitama Seibu Lions lineup with his skillful pitch, primarily using cutter and adding slider and change-up as accents. He closer them to just three hit and no runs over seven innings to earn his first win of the season, and after the game, he stood on the podium with Shota Ueda pitcher had been his battery partner in the minor leagues, to acknowledge the cheers of the fans.

He overcame injuries and the yips to shine brightly on the professional stage.

In his younger years, he led the team as a central figure in the starting rotation, and in the latter half of his career, he toyed with powerful hitters using his one-of-a-kind cutter as a weapon. Without succumbing to battles with injuries or the yips, pitcher Karakawa's performance, as he continued to support The Marines in both starter and reliever roles, has become deeply etched in the hearts of the fans.

A retirement ceremony for pitcher Karakawa is scheduled to be held during the Fukuoka Softbank game on October 3rd at Zozo Marine Stadium. We hope as many people as possible will witness pitcher Karakawa as he concludes his 19-year career dedicated solely to the Chiba Lotte Marines.

Text by Ryota Mochizuki