How Does Yu Darvish's Hot Start Compare to Other Hyped International Players?

Yu Darvish is proving to be worth every penny the Texas Rangers paid for him this offseason.

Through eight starts, Darvish is tied for the American League lead with six wins. His 2.60 ERA ranks among the top 10 in the AL, and he's third in the AL with 58 strikeouts.

Per ESPN.com, Darvish is on pace to win 26 games and strike out 247 hitters.

He won't actually achieve either of those numbers, of course, but that gives you a pretty good idea of what kind of season Darvish is having. The Rangers rolled the dice on him in hopes that he would be an ace, and I think it's safe to say that he's not only lived up to expectations, but surpassed them.

Today, we're gathered to answer a very simple question: How does Darvish's hot start to his career compare to other hyped foreign imports in recent years?

Let's take a look. Here's a look back at how 10 notable international players started their MLB careers.

Note: All stats come courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. We shall proceed in chronological order.

Hideo Nomo, 1995

Background

When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Hideo Nomo in 1995, it was a pretty big deal. Per the Los Angeles Times, his $2 million signing bonus was the largest ever given to a non-major league player, and he was going to be the first pro player from Japan to appear on an everyday basis in Major League Baseball.

On This Date

Nomo made his major league debut on May 2, and he made his fourth start of the season on today's date. It was a good one, as he pitched seven shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up two hits and striking out 14.

He got a no-decision for his trouble, but that start lowered his ERA from 5.27 to 3.48. He had 33 strikeouts in 20.2 innings pitched.

How Things Ended Up

Nomo had an excellent rookie season. He ended up winning 13 games with a 2.54 ERA and an NL-high 236 strikeouts. He started the All-Star Game for the National League.

He also ended up winning the Rookie of the Year award over Chipper Jones, and he finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.

Hideki Irabu, 1997

Background

Initially, it looked like Hideki Irabu was going to play for the San Diego Padres, who purchased his contract from the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1997.

Complications arose when Irabu refused to sign with the Padres. The New York Yankees eventually swooped in and acquired Irabu for a package of players and a few million bucks. In late May of that year, Irabu agreed to a four-year contract worth over $12 million, per The New York Times.

The drama that surrounded his coming to the major leagues played a big part in the creation of the posting system that is used today.

On This Date

Irabu hadn't yet signed on this date in 1997. After he did, the Yankees brought him along slowly, giving him a grand total of eight minor league starts at three different levels before calling him up to the Show.

In those eight minor league starts, Irabu went 4-1 with a 1.96 ERA. He made his major league debut on July 10.

How Things Ended Up

Irabu ended up appearing in 13 games in 1997, making nine starts. He ended the year with a 5-4 record and a 7.09 ERA.

Irabu won a career-best 13 games in 1998, but he never did pan out as a star in the major leagues, a la Hideo Nomo. He was out of the majors by 2002.

He passed away this past July. TMZ reported that Irabu had committed suicide.

Orlando Hernandez, 1998

Background

Orlando Hernandez defected from Cuba on Christmas day in 1997, not long after he had been banned from Cuban baseball. He would eventually be granted asylum in Costa Rica, meaning he was able to negotiate as a free agent because he wasn't a U.S. resident.

The Yankees signed him to a four-year deal worth over $6 million.

His journey to the majors was eventually chronicled by a New York Times writer by the name of Buster Olney.

On This Date

Like they did with Irabu, the Yankees brought Hernandez along slowly. He was still in the minors on this date in 1998.

Hernandez went on to make nine starts in the minors, going 7-1 with a 3.33 ERA. He made his debut on June 3, 1998, pitching seven innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to earn his first major league victory.

How Things Ended Up

He ended up going 12-4 with a 3.13 ERA, ultimately finishing fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting. In the postseason, Hernandez won both his starts, one in the ALCS against the Cleveland Indians and another in the World Series against the San Diego Padres. He pitched seven innings in both starts, giving up just one earned run.

He went on to win 17 games in 1999.

Ichiro Suzuki, 2001

Background

After the 2000 season was over, much of the attention in Seattle was focused on a player the Mariners didn't sign, as they had lost superstar shortstop Alex Rodriguez to the Texas Rangers.

Ichiro's signing that offseason went under the radar, though it did generate a few headlines because he was going to be the first Japanese position player to take a crack at forging a career in Major League Baseball. The New York Times was quick to point that out.

On This Date

Ichiro caught fire as soon as the 2001 season began. He ended April with a .336 batting average, and he ended the day on May 17, 2001 with a batting average of .371 after going 3-for-5 against the Chicago White Sox.

It was pretty clear at that point that Ichiro was something special.

How Things Ended Up

Ichiro wound up with an AL-best .350 batting average, an AL-best 242 hits and an AL-best 56 stolen bases. He made the All-Star team, and he won a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove. To boot, he was awarded both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors.

He helped the Mariners win an AL-record 116 games.

He's the greatest Japanese player to ever play in the major leagues, and it's not close.

Kazuhisa Ishii, 2002

Background

Most baseball fans have probably forgotten all about Kazuhisa Ishii's career, but his coming to the states was a pretty big deal in 2002.

Less than a decade after they scored with the signing of Hideo Nomo, the Los Angeles Dodgers paid over $11 million for Ishii's rights in January of 2002, per the Los Angeles Times. They ended up signing him to a four-year deal worth over $12 million.

"Good weather, good golf courses, I'm a Californian," said Ishii after signing, according to the Associated Press.

On This Date

Ishii broke camp in the Dodgers starting rotation in 2002, and he ended up winning his first six decisions. 

He finally lost on May 15, but that was in a game in which he gave up just one run in seven innings against the New York Mets. He was outdueled by Jeff D'Amico, who pitched a complete-game shutout.

How Things Ended Up

Ishii went 14-10 in 2002 with an ERA of 4.27, ultimately finishing fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting. 

He was out of Major League Baseball after the 2005 season, in which he went 3-9 with the Mets.

Hideki Matsui, 2003

Background

"This year, I hit 50 home runs with 107 R.B.I., and my batting average was .334. I hope your team will be interested to offer me a contract for next season."

Hideki Matsui wrote that in an email he sent to all 30 major league teams in 2002, according to The New York Times. The Yankees wasted little time making a move on the then-28-year-old Japanese slugger, signing him to a three-year, $28 million contract.

His signing was a big deal because he was going to be the first Japanese power hitter to try to make it in the states.

On This Date

Matsui made waves when he hit a grand slam for his first major league home run, but he came along pretty slowly in the first few weeks of his major league career.

At the end of the day on May 17, Matsui was batting a modest .269 with three home runs. He did, however, have 29 RBI.

How Things Ended Up

Matsui ended the 2003 season with a .287 batting average, 16 home runs and 106 RBI. He was selected to the All-Star team in July, and he ultimately finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Kansas City Royals shortstop Angel Berroa.

He would hit a career-high 31 home runs in 2004, and he was the World Series MVP when the Yankees won it all in 2009.

Jose Contreras, 2003

Background

Mere days after they signed Hideki Matsui, the Yankees signed Cuban defector Jose Contreras to a four-year deal worth $32 million.

"For me, it's an honor to play for the Yankees,'' Contreras said, per The New York Times. ''I really sacrificed some money to play for the Yankees, but for me they were the team I wanted to be with.''

The Boston Red Sox were believed to have offered Contreras just as much as the Yankees. After he was lost to the Bombers, the Red Sox president dubbed the Yankees the "Evil Empire." The nickname stuck.

On This Date

The Yankees used Contreras in relief at the start of the 2003 season, and he didn't take to his new role with his new team all that well. He had a 10.80 ERA at the end of the day on April 18, and he found himself back in the minor leagues shortly after.

Contreras was called up again in May. On May 20, the Red Sox knocked him around for five earned runs in 1.1 innings of work. His ERA rose to 15.63.

How Things Ended Up

Despite his time sent on the DL and his various trips to the minors, Contreras had a pretty good season in 2003. He finished 7-2 with a 3.30 ERA, going 6-1 with a 2.34 ERA as a starter.

He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2004. He went 15-7 in 2005 and helped the White Sox win the World Series.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, 2007

Background

The Red Sox went all-out to acquire Daisuke Matsuzaka after the 2006 season. They won the rights to negotiate with him with a posting bid of over $51 million, and they ultimately signed him to a six-year contract worth $52 million.

ESPN.com called it "the most expensive cultural exchange in baseball history."

On This Date

Dice-K's career in Major League Baseball got off to a pretty good start. He ended April with a 3-2 record, and he had a record of 5-2 with an ERA of 4.17 after pitching a complete game against the Detroit Tigers on May 14.

He ended up winning his next start on May 19, going eight innings and giving up three earned runs against the Atlanta Braves.

How Things Ended Up

Dice-K's rookie season in 2007 went moderately well. He finished with a record of 15-12 and a 4.40 ERA, and he helped the Red Sox win the World Series.

He won 18 games in 2008 with an ERA under 3.00. His career has been rocky ever since, and he's currently on the shelf rehabbing from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in 2011.

Aroldis Chapman, 2010

Background

When Aroldis Chapman defected from Cuba in 2009, a lot of teams made a move to sign him. Indeed, who wouldn't want a left-hander who could throw the ball upwards of 100 miles per hour?

Chapman ended up signing with the Cincinnati Reds for six years and just over $30 million. According to the Associated Press, he saw snow for the first time in his life when he went to take his physical.

On This Date

The Reds were in no hurry to bring Chapman to the majors in 2010. They let him adjust to baseball in America by keeping him in the minor leagues right up until the end of the season. He had trouble with blisters for much of the season.

Chapman didn't make his major league debut until August 31. In late September, he threw a fastball 105 miles per hour, the fastest pitch ever recorded in Major League Baseball, according to Yahoo! Sports.

How Things Ended Up

Chapman appeared in 15 games for the Reds down the stretch, going 2-2 with a 2.03 ERA. He struck out 19 in 13.1 innings.

In 2011, Chapman appeared in 54 games out of the bullpen, going 4-1 with a 3.60 ERA. He walked 41 hitters in 50 innings.

So far this year, Chapman hasn't given up a run in 15 appearances.

Yoenis Cespedes, 2012

Background

Shortly after the Texas Rangers won the rights to negotiate exclusive with Yu Darvish, the focus shifted from him to Yoenis Cespedes.

Cespedes was a far more mysterious figure than Darvish. His name was well-known among baseball people, but not so much among baseball fans. However, Cespedes slowly became something of a cult hero thanks to his now-infamous "Showcase" video on YouTube.

Surprisingly, he ended up signing with the Oakland A's for four years and $36 million, as reported by Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports.

On This Date

Presently, Cespedes is on the 15-day disabled list with an injured left hand. He last played on May 6.

For the season, Cespedes is batting .245 with five home runs and 21 RBI. One of his home runs went over 460 feet, one of the longest hit in the majors this season. MLB.com has the video.

How Things Ended Up

We shall see...

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