Masahiro Tanaka
While other age groups seen to consist of many talented players have since been given similar names—those born between 2 April 1988 and 1 April 1989 are sometimes referred to as the or in reference to Waseda University pitcher Yuki Saito or, alternatively, the in reference to New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka—Matsuzaka's age group was the first to be given the name "世代", meaning "Generation". No single age group has produced players who have as yet collectively succeeded at the professional level to the extent to which Matsuzaka's has.