TBNL Japan: Takahashi, familiar names, quick starts

Editor’s note: Today’s edition of the newsletter has an entirely Japanese focus on it, totally by circumstance rather than plan. 

Take a moment to look over the NPB’s pitching leaders from 2022 and you’ll notice several familiar names. Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD), Shota Imanaga (CHC), Kodai Senga (NYM), Koyo Aoyagi (PHI, minors), Tomoyuki Sugano (BAL), and Shinnosuke Ogasawara (WAS, minors) are all currently signed with MLB teams. Two more, Masahiro Tanaka (NYY) and Uwasawa Naoyuki (TB, BOS), also have MLB experience. Tanaka spent seven years with the Yankees before returning to Japan, while Naoyuki returned after just one season in the US.

Mixed among these names is Kona Takahashi.

Takahashi had aspirations to follow his countrymen to the major leagues and advised the Seibu Lions that offseason that he would like to be posted for MLB clubs after 2023.

He would pitch like one of the league’s top arms once again in 2023, but was overshadowed somewhat by Yamamoto’s dominance (between 2021-23 he won three-straight Sawamura Awards as the league’s top pitcher) and the emergence of a new wave of young arms. The Lions elected not to post Takahashi that offseason, much to his dismay.

Yamamoto signed with the Dodgers that winter. Imanaga joined the Cubs. Yuki Matsui landed with the Padres.

Takahashi thought he was heading into his likely final year in Japan last year. He’d finally be able to follow his peers and mentor, Yusei Kikuchi, to the majors. Little went to plan. Takahashi sustained an injury during spring camp that he never seemed to fully recover from and it impacted his mechanics all season. His ERA and WHIP exploded and he’d finish the year with a 0-11 record.

The now 28-year-old would lose his first two decisions in 2025 before finally picking up a win to close out April, pitching six shutout innings against the Rakuten Eagles. Afterwards, he spoke to longtime Japanese baseball writer Jim Allen (formerly of the Daily Yomiuri; they forced him into retirement this winter due to age) about the “relief” he felt after finally ending the streak and his plans to still pursue a path to MLB.

Takahashi’s stock in the eyes of MLB clubs may have taken a hit over the last season-plus, but it’s worth noting that he’s never received the general fanfare and attention that many others (Yamamoto, Senga, even Sugano) have received. He doesn’t overpower hitters with velocity like Yamamoto and Sasaki can, sitting more in the low 90s.

Takahashi might not command a big contract but should still see some level of interest (Ogasawara got a two-year, $3.5M deal from the Nationals) next winter, provided he can continue righting things on the mound.

Japan’s new Hershiser

Orel Hershiser worked an astonishing 59 innings without allowing a run from August 30 to Sept. 28, 1988. The mark still stands as the MLB record.

In 1963, Etsuo Nakai pitched 31 scoreless innings for the Hanshin Tigers to establish the NPB mark. In 2023, Shoki Murakami matched the mark while also pitching for the Tigers (as a rookie, no less).

Yomiuri Giants right-hander Iori Yamasaki topped the mark last Wednesday, working six scoreless innings against the Hiroshima Carp to bring his scoreless streak to 35 innings to start the season. His next start is slated for Tuesday night versus the Tigers.

Scanning the stats

It’s still early — the season is just a month old — but there are some familiar names appearing on the NPB leaderboards early on:

• Anthony Kay is third in the Central League with a 1.03 ERA through 35.0 IP. The former Blue Jays, Cubs, and Mets left-hander is in his third season in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars.

• Andre Jackson sits fifth with a 1.46 ERA over 37.0 IP. The former Dodgers and Pirates right-hander is in his second season with the Bay Stars.

• Hard-throwing right-hander Raidel Martinez has been on the global radar ever since his dominant performance for Cuba during the last WBC, but in the interim he’s been one of the best closers in Japan for several seasons with the Chunichi Dragons. Martinez was lured away by the Giants this past offseason with a substantial contract and he’s continued to dominate. Through his first 13 appearances with his new team, he is 1-0 with 10 saves and a 0.00 ERA over 12.2 IP.

• This offseason, the Texas Rangers lost promising outfielder Sandro Fabian to a multi-year deal from the Carp. The move is paying off early. Fabian is hitting .305/.322/.449 through 121 plate appearances, good enough for fourth in the CL.

• Former Angels and Astros outfielder Trey Cabbage is 10th, hitting .287/.337/.511 with six doubles and five home runs for the Giants.

• Franmil Reyes is batting .253/.327/.465 (12th in the Pacific League) with five homers in his second year with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

• The PL’s pitching leaders are less familiar, outside of Livan Moinelo (who also starred in the WBC for Cuba; Moinelo converted to the rotation this year and is 6th in the league with a 1.60 ERA over 39.1 IP) and Kohei Arihara (former Rangers right-hander; he’s 15th in the PL with a 4.62 ERA).

Also:

• Masahiro Tanaka has seen some mixed results early with the Giants, his first season with anyone other than the Golden Eagles or the Yankees. No announcement has been made yet, but one has to think retirement is on his mind after an 18-year career.

• Among Tanaka’s teammates on the Giants is former Royals left-hander Foster Griffin, who’s pitched to a 2.82 ERA over 245.2 IP over the last two seasons (plus his first starts this year).

• Jon Duplantier has a 1.23 ERA over 22 IP through his first four starts with the Tigers. The former D-backs right-hander bounced around the minors for several years before heading to Japan this past winter.

• Former Yankees infielder Tyler Austin has become quite the fan favorite with the Bay Stars over the last six seasons when injuries haven’t kept him off the field. He’s hitting just .231/.346/.412 over his first 34 PA this year.

• Fighters catcher Ariel Martinez is batting only .091/.091/.167 to start his seventh year in Japan, a far cry from the typical production he provides. The Cuban remains the only non-Japanese catcher in all of the NPB.

• Injuries have delayed the start of the season for several others. Samurai Japan and Softbank Hawks outfielder Kensuke Kondoh has only played in three games. Hawks right-hander Carter Stewart Jr. has yet to throw a pitch. Yakult Swallows third baseman Munetaka Murakami (who’s expected to be posted for MLB teams this coming winter) has only gotten into one.

Elsewhere, around the sport …

• Baseball in Japan has been traced back to 1872 by historians, but new research would suggest the sport arrived in the country as early as 1869. Historian Rob Fitts details the new finding and how it came about.