Info Dump: Research on the Performance of MLB Pitchers Arriving From Asia

My question in undertaking this research was a simple one: has there ever been a true #1 starting pitcher in the MLB from Asia? Based purely on stuff, there certainly can be an argument made for players such as Hideo Nomo or Yu Darvish. However, I chose to look at this from a production-only standpoint. Many players have had great stuff but been unable to translate that stuff into quality major-league production (hello, Daniel Cabrera).

I was inclined to say no, but I wanted to see from a historical standpoint. So, I looked at the best seasons of every Asian pitcher (born in an Asian country, which eliminates players such as Bruce Chen, of Chinese descent but born in Panama) to have pitched at least one year in the major leagues. You will find this lengthy amount of information below, after the jump.

My sense of this is that some part of the problem is the astronomic expectations that get placed on many of these pitchers when they are brought from overseas. Hideo Nomo, Hideki Irabu, Chan Ho Park, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Kei Igawa, etc.; the pressure placed on each was enormous upon arrival.