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Kenshin Kawakami
Atlanta Braves — No. 11
Starting pitcher
Born: June 22, 1975 (1975-06-22) (age 34) Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan
Bats: Right	Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: April 9, 1998 for the Chunichi Dragons
MLB: April 11, 2009 for the Atlanta Braves
NPB statistics
Wins–losses	112–72
Earned run average	3.22
Strikeouts	1,328
MLB statistics (through 2009 season)
Wins–losses	7–12
Earned run average	3.86
Strikeouts	105
Teams
Chunichi Dragons (1998–2008) Atlanta Braves (2009–present)
Career highlights and awards
1998 Central League Rookie of the Year 2004 Central League MVP

Kenshin Kawakami (川上 憲伸, born June 22, 1975 in Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan) is a right-handed Japanese Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves. He originally pitched for the Chunichi Dragons of the Central League. Kawakami was the Rookie of the Year in 1998 as he went 14-6 with a 2.57 ERA. He helped the Dragons to the Central League Title in 1999, but would lose in the Japan Series in 5 games to the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. He has pitched a no-hitter in his professional career. In 2004, Kawakami went 17-7 and led Chunichi to the Central League Title, though they fell to the Seibu Lions in 7 games in the Japan Series. That year, Kawakami was named Central League MVP and received the Eiji Sawamura Award as Japan's best pitcher. Kawakami again won 17 games in 2006 and led the Dragons to the Central League title again, winning Game 1 of the Japan Series against the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.

Kawakami is known as a crafty veteran who is said to throw a 90 MPH fastball, a slow curveball, and a very good cutter.

In 2007, Kawakami helped the Dragons end a streak of 53 years without a championship as they beat the Nippon Ham Fighters in 5 games.

On January 13, 2009, Kawakami signed a three-year deal with the Atlanta Braves. ^[1][2]

Kenshin Kawakami threw his first game as an Atlanta Brave on February 26 in a Spring Training game against the Pirates. Kawakami pitched two innings allowing one hit and striking out one batter.

Kawakami pitched his first Major League game on April 11, 2009 against the Washington Nationals. He picked up his first Major League win, giving up 3 earned runs, and striking out 8 in 6 innings.^[3]. On May 22 and against countryman Daisuke Matsuzaka at Fenway Park, he limited the Boston Red Sox to two hits and two earned runs in six innings and helped the Braves begin a 13-game stretch with an 8-2 win over the Red Sox^[4].

References

External links

• Nippon Professional Baseball career statistics from Japanesebaseball.com
• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Japanese league stats, info, and links for Kenshin Kawakami by JapaneseBallPlayrers.com
• Frank's Field of Dreams: Far East Heroes > Kenshin Kawakami