The Los Angeles Dodgers handed out document contracts this offseason to Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani for $700 million and ace right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto for $325 million.
Now MLB normal managers are watching Japan’s Nippon Skilled Baseball league extra intently than ever. Listed here are 5 different Japanese gamers who may thrive sometime within the massive leagues:
5. Kona Takahashi, 26-year-old RHP
Takahashi has a few more miles on him than the opposite gamers on this checklist, with almost 200 video games and greater than 1,159 innings beneath his belt since getting into NPB as an 18-year-old. He’s extra of a confirmed product as properly, one who appears to be getting higher with age.
Final season, Takahashi pitched to a 2.21 ERA and 120 strikeouts for the Saitama Seibu Lions, the staff that picked him within the first spherical of the 2014 NPB draft. He’s had an up-and-down profession since then, however his most up-to-date begins have been his finest. In 2023, he led the NPB in full video games, ranked fourth in wins, ranked second in ERA (solely behind Yamamoto) and second in shutouts.
He’s now throwing a 97.5 mile-per-hour fastball together with a slider, cutter and changeup selection referred to as a “forkball” — a potent combine that might fill the numerous beginning pitcher gaps throughout MLB.
4. Shugo Maki, 25-year-old infielder
Maki is a 25-year-old first and second baseman for the Yokohama BayStars, which drafted him within the second spherical in 2020 and slotted him within the three gap on Opening Day as a rookie. That season, he hit for the cycle and set NPB information for essentially the most doubles in consecutive at-bats.
In 2021, he slashed .314/.356/.534 with 22 homers and 71 RBI whereas logging a near-perfect fielding share at second base. In 2022, he had one other 24 homers. Final season, he made it 29 with a .293/.337/.530 slash line.
With excellent fielding abilities and a confirmed capability to hit for common and energy, Maki may quickly get the prospect to point out what he can do in MLB lineups.
3. Hiroya Miyagi, 22-year-old LHP
A teenaged Miyagi was a first-round pick for the NPB’s Orix Buffaloes in 2019. The subsequent season, pitching within the Japanese minor league system, he racked up six wins with a 2.72 ERA earlier than being promoted to the large league membership for 3 video games, the place his ERA jumped as much as 3.94.
In 2021, pitching for the large league NPB Buffaloes in 23 video games and 147 innings, Miyagi confirmed off why he has an opportunity to be a high-impact pitcher in any league around the globe. He totaled 13 wins with a 2.51 ERA and 131 strikeouts in these video games, earning the 2021 Pacific League Rookie of the 12 months title by greater than 200 votes and receiving the fourth-most votes within the league’s MVP race.
In 2022 and 2023, Miyagi continued to exhibit consistency, longevity and dominance, main NPB in shutouts final season. At simply 22 years outdated, he appears destined to face MLB hitters within the close to future.
2. Roki Sasaki, 22-year-old RHP
Sasaki is a famend pitching phenom who overshadows his southpaw counterpart Miyagi within the bulk of scouting experiences — significantly after he pitched a 19-strikeout perfect game last year.
In a 2023 season restricted by damage, he posted a 1.78 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 91 innings. These statistics, mixed together with his 6-foot-4 body and a pitch combine that features a triple-digit fastball and trapdoor splitter, have MLB groups salivating. Sasaki is prone to command a Yamamoto-level contract, probably within the $300 million vary, when he nearly inevitably decides to signal with an MLB staff.
“While you’re the following Shohei Ohtani, the expectations are going to be sky excessive,” MLB.com’s David Adler wrote. “In order that they have been for Sasaki as he entered NPB. He has solely exceeded them.”
1. Munetaka Murakami, 23-year-old infielder
Sasaki could also be a unicorn on the mound, however Murakami is broadly thought-about to be the most effective hitter outdoors of MLB.
As a 19-year-old, the primary and third baseman set an NPB record for homers by a teen with 36 and gained the league’s Rookie of the 12 months Award. The subsequent season, the lefty slugger slashed .307/.427/.585; completed within the high 10 for BA, OBP, SLG, OPS, hits, runs, doubles, hits, steals, walks and extra; and was voted the NPB Central League’s finest first baseman. In 2021, he gained the league’s MVP Award with 287 of the 306 first-place votes, then gained it unanimously in 2022 after hitting 56 homers — a document for a Japanese participant.
In six seasons with the Yakult Swallows, Murakami has averaged a .965 OPS and almost 32 HRs per season. He additionally made a serious mark throughout the 2023 World Baseball Traditional, the place he hit a essential walk-off, two-run double within the semifinal in opposition to Mexico and smashed a first-pitch homer off Merrill Kelly within the second inning to tie the championship sport in opposition to staff USA.
Murakami has mentioned he’d like to hitch the Present as quickly as attainable, and at any time when that’s, we’ll get to see what the most effective hitter outdoors of MLB can do as soon as he’s in it.