Makoto Kozuru: The Japanese Joe DiMaggio
The Power Hitter Pantheon: Baseball’s Greatest Home Run Heroes
This project aims to determine the greatest home run hitter of all time by comparing each slugger’s statistics to the average of their era using three formulas. The final adjusted stats will then be used to compare them head-to-head with other all-time greats.
If you find this content valuable and would like to support the ongoing studies and articles, your contributions via CashApp are truly appreciated.
Your support helps fund the tools, research, and time dedicated to these projects. Every contribution, no matter the size, plays an important role in keeping this work going.
If you're unable to contribute financially, sharing this article on your social media (X, Facebook, etc.), emailing it to a friend, or texting the link to a fellow baseball fan is just as valuable.
Thank you for your support!
Makoto Kozuru will be the next legendary Japanese League home run hitter examined in this study. For a brief biography of Kozuru, please click here.
According to Baseball Reference, Makoto Kozuru's official statistics reveal a total of 230 home runs over 6,141 at-bats, resulting in an average of 26.7 at-bats per home run (AB/HR).
Makoto Kozuru played in the Japanese Baseball League (JBPL) from 1942 to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1949. He subsequently competed in Japan's Central League (JPCL) from 1950 to 1958.
When aggregating the statistics from each of the seasons Kozuru competed in, the combined league totals include 434,379 at-bats and 6,302 home runs, resulting in an average of 68.93 at-bats per home run (AB/HR).
With this data, we can evaluate how Kozuru’s performance compared to the average Japanese League hitter of his era.
Raw Difference: 42.23
Formula: League Average – Player Career AverageImprovement Factor: 2.58
Formula: League Average / Player Career AveragePercentage Difference: 61.27%
Formula: (League Average – Player Career Average) / League Average × 100%
Makoto Kozuru was a home run-hitting force, far surpassing the average player of his era. Kozuru’s 26.7 AB/HR, compared to the league’s 68.93, marks him as an exceptional home run hitter for his time.
He significantly outperformed the average player, making him a standout in Japanese baseball history. His 2.58 improvement factor is particularly striking—it’s a testament to how he towered over the competition.
AB/HR (26.7): This is an impressive figure. A lower AB/HR means a player hits home runs more frequently, so Kozuru was a standout power hitter.
League Average AB/HR (68.93): This is notably higher (meaning less frequent home runs) than Kozuru’s mark. It suggests that during Kozuru’s time, home runs were relatively rare in the Japanese leagues.
Raw Difference (42.23): Kozuru required 42.23 fewer at-bats per home run than the league average. This gap highlights his superiority as a power hitter. It’s a straightforward measure of how much better he was in raw terms.
Improvement Factor (2.58): Kozuru hit home runs 2.58 times more frequently than the average player. In other words, his home run rate was over 2.5 times better than the norm. This underscores his dominance as a slugger.
Percentage Difference (61.27%): This shows that Kozuru’s AB/HR was 61.27% better (lower) than the league average. It’s another way to quantify his edge, emphasizing that his power output was far above typical.
In our initial analysis, we examined the careers of Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez, and Joe DiMaggio using our formulas. Following that, we also evaluated the careers of Josh Gibson, Sadaharu Oh, Buck Leonard, Tetsuharu Kawakami, Mule Suttles, Noboru Aota, Oscar Charleston, Katsuya Nomura, and Turkey Stearnes.
Now, let's compare Kozuru’s career statistics against these baseball legends to gain a clearer perspective on how he stacks up.
Raw Difference (42.23)
Higher than Tetsuharu Kawakami (34.71), Katsuya Nomura (24.86), Sadaharu Oh (25.66), Mickey Mantle (26.10), Alex Rodriguez (16.24), and Joe DiMaggio (36.43), showing he outperformed these icons relative to their respective league averages in terms of frequency.
Improvement Factor (2.58)
Competitive, surpassing Kawakami (1.84), Rodriguez (2.07), and Nomura (2.56), and closely trailing Mantle (2.73), Noboru Aota (2.76), and DiMaggio (2.93). It’s a testament to Kozuru’s consistency and power.
Percentage Difference (61.27%)
Better than Kawakami (45.58%), Rodriguez (51.69%), and Nomura (60.93%), and it’s in the same ballpark as Mantle (63.32%), Aota (63.74%), and DiMaggio (65.85%). This places him firmly among the upper echelon of hitters.
Makoto Kozuru stands as a formidable figure in the realm of baseball, earning a rightful place alongside the sport's immortals.
His 61.27% improvement over the league average is in the same league as Mickey Mantle (63.32%) and Joe DiMaggio (65.85%), and it edges out Katsuya Nomura (60.93%) and Alex Rodriguez (51.69%). Notably, he outperforms Sadaharu Oh (25.66) in raw differential by a wide margin, even if Oh’s improvement factor is higher due to a tighter league context.
He has undeniably embodied the moniker “The Japanese Joe DiMaggio” through his exceptional skill and enduring legacy.
