Hideki Matsui 2002 BBM Yomiuri Giants Trading Card

This card set was made during Matsui’s final season in Japan. During his NPB career, which ended in 2002 when he left for the New York Yankees, there was simply no bigger star in Japan than Hideki Matsui. Playing for Japan’s most popular team, he was prolific at the plate. He won three Central League MVP awards, three Japan Series titles, and was named to nine consecutive All-Star games. He is one of the few players who could have lived up to his apt nickname – “Godzilla.” After moving to MLB, he more than held his own for the Yankees, Angels, A’s, and Rays; in fact, we ranked him as the third-best Japanese import in MLB history.

Matsui’s NPB career highlights:

• 9× All-Star in his nine full seasons (1994–2002)
• 3× Japan Series champion (1994, 2000, 2002)
• 3× Central League MVP (1996, 2000, 2002)
• Japan Series MVP (2000)
• 8× Best Nine Award (1995–2002)
• Matsutaro Shoriki Award (2000)
• Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductee (2018)

Matsui’s MLB career highlights:

• 2× All-Star (2003, 2004)
• World Series champion (2009)
• World Series MVP (2009)