Masashi Ito (baseball)

2.1. Youth and School Days

Ito began playing baseball at a young age, joining the Yokoshiba Phoenix youth baseball team upon entering Yokoshiba Elementary School. He started pitching seriously from his second year. During his time at Yokoshibahikari Junior High, where he played for the school's softball baseball club, he helped the "All Sanbu" selected team win the prefectural championship in the spring of his third year and was also selected for the Chiba prefectural team. Notably, Takahisa Hayakawa was two grades below him in the same club.

He then enrolled in Yokohama High School in Kanagawa Prefecture, making the varsity roster in the fall of his first year and becoming the team's ace pitcher in the spring of his second year. In the summer of his second year, he participated in the 95th National High School Baseball Championship, pitching a complete game with 14 strikeouts and one earned run to defeat Marugame High in the second round. However, in the third round, he struggled against Kona Takahashi and Maebashi Ikuei High, giving up five earned runs over six innings and suffering a loss. In his third year, he again served as ace, competing in the 86th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament. He started the first-round game against Hachinohe Gakuin Kosei High, giving up a total of seven runs over three appearances, leading to an early exit for his team. That summer, Yokohama High lost to Tokai University Sagami High School in the Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament semifinals, preventing them from making a third consecutive Koshien appearance. His classmates at Yokohama High included Daiki Asama, Yujin Takahama, and Yoshiaki Watanabe, while Shoma Fujihira and Tatsuya Ishikawa were two grades below him, and Yuya Yanagi was two grades above.

After graduating from high school, Ito attended International Budo University in Chiba. He joined the baseball team and made the roster as a relief pitcher in his first spring, with his usage limited to one inning per game to mitigate strain on his shoulder and elbow. From his second year, he became a regular starter and eventually the team's ace. In the spring of his second year, he recorded six wins, including three shutouts, and was selected to the Japanese national team for the 40th Japan-USA University Baseball Championship Series. In his third year, he earned four titles, including the league MVP and most pitching wins, and contributed to his team's second-place finish in the university championship. For the second consecutive year, he was selected to the Japanese national team for the Baseball at the 2017 Summer Universiade, where Japan won first place. However, a left elbow injury at the beginning of his senior year significantly reduced his playing time, dimming his prospects for the professional draft after graduation. He concluded his college career with a record of 24 wins and 5 losses, a 1.92 ERA, and 92 strikeouts in 50 league appearances. His university teammates included Kohei Suzuki (three grades his senior) and Shoki Katsumata and Hiroshi Toyoda (one grade his junior), with Toyoda later becoming his teammate on the Hanshin Tigers.

2.2. Industrial League Career

After going undrafted out of university, Ito joined JR East to play in the industrial leagues. In his first year, he primarily served as a starter in official games. During the 90th Intercity Baseball Tournament, he pitched three scoreless relief innings against NTT West Japan in the third round, although his team ultimately lost. Following this, he dedicated himself to intensive weight training to improve his overall strength. In his second year, his pitching velocity increased to a maximum of 91 mph ^{(146 km/h)}. On October 5, 2020, during the Tokyo-wide elimination game for the 91st Intercity Baseball Tournament, he delivered a dominant performance against NTT East Japan, almost pitching a no-hitter until the ninth inning, ultimately securing a complete shutout victory after giving up only one hit. During his time at JR East, he was assigned to the Facilities Department's Construction Division. After being drafted by the Hanshin Tigers in November, he also started in the first round of the Intercity Tournament against Mitsubishi Motors Okazaki, whose roster included his future Tigers teammate Takumu Nakano. Ito pitched a complete game, giving up two earned runs, and contributed to his team's walk-off victory. In the second round against Honda Kumamoto, he entered as the fourth reliever in the seventh inning with a three-run deficit, pitching 1 2/3 scoreless innings, but his team was defeated.

3.1. Joining the Hanshin Tigers

Masashi Ito was selected by the Hanshin Tigers in the second round of the 2020 Nippon Professional Baseball Draft. He signed a contract with the Hanshin Tigers for a reported signing bonus of 70.00 M JPY and an estimated annual salary of 13.00 M JPY. He was assigned the uniform number 27.

3.2. 2021 Season

In his rookie season, Ito secured a spot in the Hanshin Tigers' starting rotation from Opening Day. He made his professional debut and first start on March 31 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima, pitching five innings and allowing two earned runs in a no-decision. On April 7, against the Yomiuri Giants at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, he earned his first professional win, pitching seven innings and giving up just one earned run. On April 24, he achieved his first professional complete game victory against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars at Koshien, allowing only one earned run over nine innings. This marked the first complete game victory by a Hanshin rookie pitcher since Takumi Akiyama in 2010, and the first by a left-handed rookie since Yutaka Enatsu in 1967. On October 24, Ito secured his tenth win of the season against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowing one earned run. This made him the ninth Hanshin rookie to achieve ten wins, and only the third left-handed rookie to do so, following Shintaro Fujinami (2013) and Yutaka Enatsu (1967). His strong performance in October, with three wins and no losses, one hold, and a 0.98 ERA over five appearances, earned him the Central League Monthly MVP award for October/November. He finished the season with a record of 10 wins and 7 losses, a 2.44 ERA, falling just 2 2/3 innings short of qualifying for the ERA title. He notably had strong performances against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Although he did not win the Rookie of the Year award, he received a special rookie award along with Teruaki Sato, Takumu Nakano, Shugo Maki, and Yasunobu Okugawa. Following the season, his contract was renegotiated, with an increase of 31.00 M JPY, bringing his estimated annual salary to 44.00 M JPY.

3.3. 2022 Season

Ito continued to be a key part of the Hanshin Tigers' rotation in 2022. On April 6, in a game against the DeNA BayStars at Koshien, he recorded his first professional RBI with a timely hit off Kenta Ishida in the fifth inning. He pitched admirably, allowing no runs through 8 2/3 innings, but surrendered a timely hit to Shugo Maki with two outs in the ninth, missing out on his first professional shutout. He finished the game with nine innings pitched and one earned run, leaving with the score tied 1-1 before his team eventually lost 1-6 in 12 innings. On May 22, in a game against the Yomiuri Giants at Koshien, Ito achieved his first complete game shutout. He followed this with another complete game shutout against the Giants on July 14, marking the first time in 53 years that a Hanshin left-handed pitcher recorded back-to-back complete game shutouts against the Giants, a feat previously accomplished by Yutaka Enatsu in 1969. For his performances in June and July, he received the Monthly Best Battery Award alongside catcher Ryutaro Umeno. He also made his first appearance in the All-Star Game that year. Although he did not reach the qualifying innings limit for the second consecutive year, he made 20 starts as the team's only left-handed pitcher in the rotation, finishing with a record of 9 wins and 5 losses and a 2.63 ERA. He led both leagues with six complete games, playing a significant role in the Hanshin Tigers securing an A-class finish. On December 1, his contract was renewed with an increase of 36.00 M JPY, bringing his estimated annual salary to 80.00 M JPY.

3.4. 2023 Season

Ito had a strong spring training in 2023 and was slated to start the second game of the season. However, he experienced left shoulder pain on March 10, and it was announced on March 22 that he would be sidelined, delaying his season debut by nearly a month. Despite the setback, he made his first appearance of the season on April 27 against the Yomiuri Giants at Koshien, delivering an immediate impact with a nine-inning, walk-free complete game shutout. This marked his third consecutive complete game shutout against the Giants at Koshien, a record also achieved by Yutaka Enatsu in 1968. In the first half of the season, Ito made 12 starts, achieving quality starts in 11 of them and maintaining a solid 2.51 ERA. However, he was often hampered by a lack of run support or bullpen collapses, leading to a modest 3-4 record at the All-Star break.

In the second half, his fortunes turned. Starting with the game against the Yakult Swallows on July 23 at Meiji Jingu Stadium, he embarked on a five-game winning streak, which included his second complete game shutout of the season against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars on August 20 at Yokohama Stadium. On September 3, against the Swallows at Jingu, he pitched an impressive eight scoreless innings on just 78 pitches. While he narrowly missed achieving a "Maddux" (a complete game under 100 pitches) after giving up a solo home run to pinch-hitter Yoshihiro Akabane in the ninth, he still completed the game with 90 pitches and one earned run, marking his tenth career complete game victory and ninth win of the season. One week later, on September 10 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Koshien, Ito achieved his tenth win of the season, marking his second consecutive year with double-digit victories, following teammates Shoki Murakami and Koya Aoyagi. In his final regular-season start on September 20 against the Yomiuri Giants at Koshien, he achieved his personal goal of reaching the qualifying innings limit for the first time in his three-year professional career. He concluded the regular season with 21 starts, a 10-5 record, a 2.39 ERA, three complete games, and two shutouts, significantly contributing to the Tigers' first league championship in 18 years.

In the postseason, Ito started Game 2 of the Climax Series Final Stage against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Koshien, pitching seven innings and allowing one earned run. In the 2023 Japan Series against the Orix Buffaloes, he made two appearances. He started Game 3 at Koshien, pitching five innings and giving up four earned runs, taking the loss. However, in the decisive Game 7 at Kyocera Dome Osaka, he entered as the third reliever in the sixth inning, pitching three scoreless innings to earn the win and help the Tigers clinch their first Japan Series championship in 38 years. Following the triumphant season, Ito's contract was extended on December 10 with a raise of 80.00 M JPY, bringing his estimated annual salary to 160.00 M JPY.

3.5. 2024 Season

Ito's 2024 season began with some struggles in the open games, where he recorded 0 wins and 3 losses with a 5.00 ERA over four starts. In a March 23 open game against the Yomiuri Giants, he surprisingly gave up seven runs in the first inning, his personal worst. However, he started the regular season strong, earning a win in his first appearance on April 3 against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, pitching seven innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs. This victory marked his 30th career win in his 65th appearance, making him the fastest Hanshin Tigers player drafted in the Heisei era to reach this milestone.

He continued in the starting rotation, but on May 11, in another game against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, he lasted less than five innings, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits, contributing to the team's loss after squandering a seven-run lead. The following day, May 12, he was removed from the active roster. Ito was reinstated on June 7 and started against the Saitama Seibu Lions, pitching seven innings and allowing one earned run despite an incident where he was hit on the left knee by a batted ball, earning a win. He then suffered three consecutive losses, even after pitching well in one game, giving up only two earned runs over eight innings. On July 6, he secured his fourth win of the season against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, allowing one earned run over seven innings. However, on July 13 against the Chunichi Dragons, he was pulled after three innings, having given up five earned runs on six hits. He was once again removed from the active roster on July 14. Ito returned to the active roster on August 9 and was primarily used in relief. On August 27, he made an emergency start against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars as a replacement for Jeremy Beasley, but lasted only three innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits. He was subsequently removed from the roster for the third time on August 28 and did not return to the first team. He finished the 2024 season with 18 appearances, a record of 4 wins and 5 losses, and a 4.62 ERA. On December 5, his contract was renewed with a 20.00 M JPY decrease, setting his estimated annual salary at 140.00 M JPY. His stated goals for the upcoming season are to achieve double-digit wins and help the team reclaim the championship.

4.1. Pitching Style

Ito is a left-handed pitcher who stands at 5 feet 10 inches tall and employs a three-quarters delivery, which makes it difficult for batters to pick up the ball's release point. His primary pitch is a four-seam fastball, which can reach a maximum velocity of 91 mph ^{(147 km/h)}. He complements his fastball with a diverse repertoire of breaking balls and off-speed pitches, including a two-seamer, cutter, slider, curveball, and occasional forkball and changeup. He is particularly skilled at maintaining good control and throwing low-trajectory pitches. Ito is recognized for his strong game management abilities.

The following table presents his pitching data from the 2023 season:

4.2. Personal Characteristics

A notable trait of Masashi Ito is his "poker face" during games. He has stated, "If you show a bad face, the team sees it. If the pitcher is agitated, the flow gets bad," indicating his deliberate effort to maintain composure and avoid showing weakness on the mound.

His family background reveals early exposure to golf through his father, who aspired to be a professional golfer; Ito himself has a best score of 80 in golf. His given name, Masashi, was inspired by "Jumbo Ozaki," the professional golfer Masashi Ozaki (尾崎将司^Japanese), while his younger brother, Taiga, was named after Tiger Woods. Ito respects former Hanshin Tigers pitcher Atsushi Nomi. His grandmother affectionately calls him "Mashi."

5.1. Major Awards and Titles

• Central League Special Award (Rookie Special Award): 2021
• Monthly MVP (Pitcher Division): October/November 2021
• Monthly Best Battery Award: June/July 2022 (with catcher Ryutaro Umeno)

5.2. Career Milestones

6.1. Pitching Statistics by Year

• Statistics as of the end of the 2024 season.
• Bold indicates league leader in that category.

6.2. Fielding Statistics by Year

• Statistics as of the end of the 2024 season.
• Bold indicates league leader in that category.

7.1. Uniform Number

• 27 (2021 - present)

7.2. Entrance Themes

• "My Resort" by ¥ellow bucks (2021)
• "GIOTF feat. JP THE WAVEY" by ¥ellow Bucks (2022)
• "BEANIE" by Skaai (2023 - present)
• "Masashi" by Golden Bomber (2023 - present) - Used for batting appearances.