Kenta Maeda Aims to Pitch in Japan in 2026

Veteran pitcher Kenta Maeda has played for three MLB organizations in 2025, spending most of that time at the Triple-A level.

Released by the Detroit Tigers on May 7, Maeda moved on to the Chicago Cubs and was assigned to pitch for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, who released him on August 2. Two days later, the New York Yankees signed the 37-year-old to a minor league deal.

Now, nearing the end of a disappointing season, Maeda is looking ahead to 2026. He recently said on TV Tokyo's Sports Real & Live that he wants to play for an NPB team next year.

"To be honest, I didn't want to go to the minors," Maeda said on the TV program on Sunday night, August 31, Sports Nippon reported. "I'm not young anymore. I've decided this year will be my last in America. It's not because I came to the minors; even if I somehow won 20 games in the majors this year, I'd still call it quits in America. So I want to return to Japan next year."

In seven appearances for MLB's Tigers, Maeda had a 7.88 ERA in eight innings early this season.

He also struggled with the Iowa Cubs, finishing with a 6.12 ERA in 57⅓ innings. In 12 starts for Iowa, he allowed 54 hits, walked 25 batters and struck out 45.

Pitching for the Triple-A RailRiders

Since switching organizations again in early August, Maeda has made four starts for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate. In his most recent outing on August 28, he was hammered by the Syracuse Mets, allowing 11 hits, including three home runs, and 10 runs (nine earned) in three innings.

Combining his pitching stats from the Iowa Cubs and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Maeda has a 4-6 record and a 6.25 ERA in 16 games in Triple-A this season.

He's in the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Detroit Tigers before the 2024 MLB campaign.

Kenta Maeda: Ups and Downs as a Pitcher

The Osaka Prefecture native made a big impact for the Hiroshima Carp as a newcomer in 2008, finishing his rookie season with a 9-2 record.

He won 15 games in three NPB seasons (2010, 2013 and 2015) and 14 games in 2012.

When he left the Carp after the 2015 season to join the Dodgers, Maeda was one of NPB's elite pitchers.

During his eight seasons with Hiroshima, Maeda compiled a 97-67 record.

In his MLB career, he has a 68-56 record with a 4.20 ERA in 226 games (172 starts).

Maeda was an excellent addition to the Dodgers starting rotation from the get-go. He earned 16 wins as an MLB rookie and went 13-6 in 2017, his second season in an LA uniform.

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, his first with the Minnesota Twins, Maeda was the AL Cy Young Award runner-up (6-1, 2.70 ERA, 11 starts). He sustained an injury to his right pitching arm in August 2021, underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2022 season.

Returning to the majors after surgery and injury rehab, Maeda had a 6-8 record and a 4.23 ERA in 21 games (20 starts) in 2023, his last season with the Twins.

In 2024, Maeda slipped to 3-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 29 games. He lost his spot in the starting rotation in early July after giving up seven hits and six runs in 2⅔ innings in a game against the Cleveland Guardians.

Determined to Give His Best Effort

A popular player throughout his career in Japan and North America, Kenta Maeda said he's determined to close out the 2025 campaign by giving his best effort.

"Returning to Japan depends on getting an offer, so it's not entirely up to me," Maeda said on the aforementioned TV program, Sports Nippon reported. "I had already decided this would be my last year playing in America. So I want to give it my all here until the end of this season."

Will Maeda be in an NPB uniform in 2026? 

That remains to be seen. But it would surprise nobody if he returns to the Carp next year. Again and again, pro sports teams sign former stars in the twilight of their careers.

As of this writing, Hiroshima (53-62-5 through September 2) is not one of the Central League's top teams.  

Perhaps Maeda can rejuvenate his career in Japan ― and give the Carp a boost in veteran leadership.

RELATED:

• Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Earns 1st Victory Since 2023
• [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Kenta Maeda Getting Back in the Swing of Things

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.