Hideki Matsui

HidekiMatsui is one of the most successful players in major league history to come from Japan. He became a renowned home run hitter during his decade with the Yomiuri Giants. From 1994-2002, Matsui made nine straight All-Star teams in Nippon Professional Baseball. He was a three-time league MVP. Matsui also led the Giants to three Japan Series titles and was the 2000 Japan Series MVP. The Yankees signed him in the 2002 offseason and the became the first New York player to hit a grand slam in his first game at Yankee Stadium. That season, he finished runner-up in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Matsui was named to the AL All-Star team in 2003 and 2004. During the 2009 World Series, he hit .615 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. The Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies and Matsui was named MVP of the series. He went on to play one season each with the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays. Matsui retired in 2012.