GGOATRANK
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Baseball · Pitcher · Japan

Masahiro Tanaka

2007–present · Went 24-0 in 2013 for Rakuten before a seven-season Yankees career.

Active
Ranking model

100% titles, statistics, dominance, longevity and global competition depth.

Pure sporting data
87.5
Cultural & brand footprint 50/100 · total legacy 76.2
NPB MVP awards
1
Wins in 2013
24
MLB wins
78
MLB All-Star selections
2
Japan Series titles
1

Category profile

Dominance
82
Peak
96
Longevity
86
Honours
84
Statistics
92

Career timeline · Home runs per season

SeasonHome runs per seasonShare of career
200711
20089
200915
201011
201119
201210
201324
201413
201512
201614
201713
201812
201911
20203
20214
20227
20234
20241

Data sources

  • MLB.com
  • Baseball Reference
  • National Baseball Hall of Fame

Figures come from public records and are normalised per sport. See the methodology for category weights. Method

Why Masahiro Tanaka ranks #114 in Baseball

Masahiro Tanaka ranks 114th among Baseball athletes on GOAT Rank and 1309th of 2289 across every sport in the index. The published GOAT Score of 87.5 is the weighted result of five verified category scores: Dominance 82, Peak 96, Longevity 86, Honours 84, Statistics 92. Those categories are normalised against the full Baseball reference universe of 262 records, not a shortlist, so the position reflects the whole sport rather than a handful of famous names.

The record covers 2007–present with 18 documented competitive seasons. The strongest single season in that series is 2013, which sets the Peak component at 96. Peak is the defining strength of the profile at 96 out of 100, and it carries 20% of the final score. The underlying career record includes npb mvp awards 1, wins in 2013 24, mlb wins 78, mlb all-star selections 2.

Immediately ahead sits Buster Posey on 87.6, a gap of 0.1 points. Directly behind is Jim Rice on 87.5. The position moves whenever the verified record moves: new titles, new seasons or a corrected source all feed straight back into the same formula, and every change is dated on this profile.

Masahiro Tanaka GOAT Score explained

Dominance82/100 · weight 25%
Measures how far Tanaka stood above the field while competing. Scored 82/100 against the full Baseball cohort.
Peak96/100 · weight 20%
Rates the best sustained stretch of the career, centred on 2013. Scored 96/100.
Longevity86/100 · weight 20%
Rewards staying at that level over time: 19 years of competition and 18 recorded seasons. Scored 86/100.
Honours84/100 · weight 20%
Counts documented titles, majors and awards in the verified record. Scored 84/100.
Statistics92/100 · weight 15%
Normalises the raw career numbers against everyone in the sport reporting the same metric. Scored 92/100.

Masahiro Tanaka — frequently asked

Is Masahiro Tanaka the GOAT?
Not on the current data. Masahiro Tanaka ranks 114th in Baseball with a GOAT Score of 87.5, behind Babe Ruth on 94.6.
What is Masahiro Tanaka's GOAT Score?
87.5 out of 100. It is the weighted sum of Dominance 82 (25%), Peak 96 (20%), Longevity 86 (20%), Honours 84 (20%), Statistics 92 (15%), computed from the verified career record.
Where does Masahiro Tanaka rank all time?
1309th of 2289 eligible athletes in the cross-sport index, and 114th within Baseball.
Masahiro Tanaka vs Buster Posey: who ranks higher?
Buster Posey, on 87.6 against Masahiro Tanaka's 87.5 — a margin of 0.1 points.
Compare with Ruth