[2] By using a wide array of breaking pitches, his command of sliders and screwballs[2] secured him double-digit victories during 11 seasons, including eight consecutive years from 1956 through 1963.

[1] A six-time All-Star, Minagawa also received Best Nine Award honors and was a member of Hawks teams that won six pennant titles and two Japan Series championships.

[3] Minagawa debuted in 1954 with Nankai at age 18 and was used sparingly in his first three seasons, being part of the pitching staff of the 1955 Pacific League pennant winner, even though he did not play in the Japan Series.

The breaking-ball pitcher played in 51 of the 130 games of his team (39%), amassing a 10-6 record with a 1.92 ERA and 0.947 WHIP in 14 starts and 37 relief appearances,[1] while Nankai contended with the Daimai Orions the Pacific League pennant for most of the summer.

Finally, Nankai captured the pennant with a six-game cushion in the standings,[4] claiming the right to face the Yomiuri Giants of the Central League in the Japan Series.

He rebounded in 1961, running his record to 16-7 with a 1.98 ERA in 51 games as a swingman pitcher, helping the Hawks win a pennant for a third time.

Once more, Minagawa would pitch effectively in 1962 with another dominating performance for the second-place Hawks, winning 19 games and losing just four for a respectable .826 W–L%, ranked as the best mark in the league.

[7] Additionally, he topped the league's qualified starters in W–L% (.720), tied for the second in ERA, finished third in shutouts, fifth in wins and tenth in complete games,[8] while earning a third All-Star berth.

[10] Minagawa also received Best Nine Award honors as the best pitcher in the Pacific League, and made his fourth consecutive All-Star team and fifth overall.

[3] Fittingly, Minagawa ended his career with the Hawks, the team with which he had enjoyed his finest years in the Pacific League.

A notorious ground ball pitcher, he was able to induce double plays and provided solid numbers in hits and home runs allowed per nine innings, recording 7.7 H/9 and 0.6 HR/9, respectively.

[11] Minagawa was enshrined into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame as part of its 2011 class, along with three-time Triple Crown winner and manager Hiromitsu Ochiai.

Even though he was never recognized with an Eiji Sawamura Award, Minagawa is well remembered as the last pitcher in Japanese professional baseball to post 30 wins or more in a single season, as was aforementioned before.