NPB Player Movement Database

Kaima Taira is built like a vending machine and throws like a catapult — 173 centimeters, nearly 100 kilograms, fastball reaching 160 km/h. He grew up on Ishigaki, a subtropical island closer to Taiwan than to mainland Japan, and arrived via the 2017 draft's fourth round as a project. The project matured fast: Rookie of the Year in 2020, an NPB-record streak of consecutive scoreless relief appearances, the 2022 award for best setup man, and the 2025 saves title.

What makes Taira singular, though, is his restlessness. He has publicly campaigned to start, gone back to closing, and in 2026 converted to the rotation again — then made the argument stick with a monthly MVP award in the season's opening stretch and seven-inning, double-digit-strikeout starts. He designs his own pitches with tracking technology, speaks openly about analytics, and has declared his MLB ambition for years without blinking. Whichever role he occupies when he crosses the Pacific, the arm and the appetite are already major-league sized.