# Yuki Karikawa retirement from Chiba Lotte Marines > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/yuki-karikawa-retirement-from-chiba-lotte-marines > Updated: 2026-09-20T04:46:03.000Z. Sources: 4. Developments: 4. Yuki Karikawa (also referred to as Karakawa), a pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines, has announced his retirement from professional baseball following a 19-year career. A first-round draft pick in 2007, Karikawa recorded 82 wins, 78 losses, and 64 holds with a 3.71 ERA. During his retirement announcement, Karikawa reflected on his time in the league, noting that he viewed his peers more as “comrades than rivals.” He was part of the “High School Big 3” alongside Sho Nakata and Yuki Sato, all of whom were prominent first-round prospects in the 2007 draft. Nakata expressed respect for Karikawa’s pitching style and noted that watching the success of Karikawa and Sato served as motivation for his own career. In preparation for his departure, the Chiba Lotte Marines announced a collection of memorial merchandise for pre-order from September 18 to September 27. The lineup includes nine designs, such as T-shirts and face towels, featuring historical visuals, handwritten messages, and photography. Karikawa personally supervised the design of one item with a flower motif to represent his career and gratitude toward supporters. Karikawa transitioned from a starting pitcher, contributing to a Japan Series championship, to a reliable set-up man. His career highlights include a peak of 12 wins in 2011 and a strong performance in 2024. He is scheduled to play his final game and participate in a retirement ceremony on October 3 against the SoftBank Hawks at ZOZO Marine Stadium. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-20: Japanese baseball players Yuki Karikawa and Nobuyoshi Yamada announce retirement NPB players Yuki Karikawa of the Chiba Lotte Marines and Nobuyoshi Yamada of the Orix Buffaloes have announced they will retire at the end of the current season. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/japanese-baseball-players-yuki-karikawa-and-nobuyoshi-yamada-announce-retirement ### 2026-09-17: Chiba Lotte Marines announce memorial goods for retiring pitcher Yuki Karikawa The Chiba Lotte Marines are offering memorial merchandise for retiring pitcher Yuki Karikawa, featuring designs supervised by the player, ahead of his retirement ceremony on October 3. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/chiba-lotte-marines-announce-memorial-goods-for-retiring-pitcher-yuki-karikawa ### 2026-09-08: Yuki Karakawa announces retirement from Chiba Lotte Marines Lotte Marines pitcher Yuki Karakawa has announced his retirement after 19 years, reflecting on his journey as part of the ‘High School Big 3’ alongside Sho Nakata and Yuki Sato. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yuki-karakawa-announces-retirement-from-chiba-lotte-marines ### 2026-09-04: Yuki Karikawa announces retirement from Chiba Lotte Marines Chiba Lotte Marines pitcher Yuki Karikawa has announced his retirement after 19 years in professional baseball. His final game is scheduled for October 3. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/yuki-karikawa-announces-retirement-from-chiba-lotte-marines --- Cite as: Yuki Karikawa retirement from Chiba Lotte Marines. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/yuki-karikawa-retirement-from-chiba-lotte-marines