Top players like Suzuki in 2022… Yoshida Sengawa in 2023… Yamamoto Imanaga and Nomo Ichiro Matsuzaka in 2024 are moving on to bigger things.

Last winter, the best players in Nippon Professional Baseball continued to travel to the major leagues. They chose to travel to the United States not for the challenge, but for the superlative treatment. Orix Buffaloes No. 4 hitter Masataka Yoshida, 30, went to the Boston Red Sox, SoftBank Hawks right-hander Godai Senga, 30, went to the New York Mets, and Hanshin Tigers right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, 29, switched to the Oakland Athletics.

Yoshida signed for five years and $90 million, Senga for five years and $75 million, and Fujinami for one year and $3.25 million. In their first year, they quickly adapted and continued to perform well as starting pitchers. Nippon Professional Baseball’s best players have proven that they can play in the major leagues.

Starting in the No. 4 spot on Opening Day, Yoshida batted .294 with 15 home runs and 68 RBIs in 124 games. He batted in the triple digits in the first half of the year and was in contention for the American League batting title.

He’s been a key part of Boston’s offense lately, though he’s faltered a bit. Last winter, some U.S. media outlets questioned whether an average annual salary of $18 million was “overpaying,” but I shrug it off.

They spent a ton of money last winter to strengthen their lineup, and the reality is that they’re fourth in the National League East. Still, the Mets did something right. They acquired Senga on the cheap.

Senga threw seven innings of one-run ball against the Seattle Mariners on April 2. His last five starts have all been quality starts (6+ innings pitched, 3 earned runs or less). 5-game ERA of 2.75.

In 25 starts in his rookie season, he went 10-7 with a 3.08 ERA. Leads the team in wins and ERA. Serves as the de facto ace.

Fujinami had a tough adjustment period. He started out as a starter and struggled when he switched to relief. Slowly, he settled in and brought his ERA down to single digits. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in July and has been pitching more consistently since. In 20 games with the Orioles, he went 1-0 with a 4.71 ERA and two saves. His season record improved to 6-8, 4-0 with a 7.42 ERA and two saves.

This winter, Japanese players will continue to try their hand at the major leagues. Orix ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 25, and Yokohama BayStars left-hander Shota Imanaga, 30, are preparing to travel to the United States. Both players will have to go through the posting system.

Last year, Yamamoto, who became the first pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball to lead the league in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and winning percentage for two consecutive years, signed a four-year contract worth 650 million yen. This is the highest salary in Nippon Professional Baseball this year. The contract stipulated that he would move to the major leagues after the season.

After winning the World Baseball Classic (WBC), Yamamoto continued his dominance in the regular season. As of June 6, he was 13-5 with a 1.34 ERA, 137 strikeouts, and a 7.02 winning percentage. He leads the league in all three categories except strikeouts. Looking for his third straight four-win season. His wins and ERA are among the best in both leagues. He is clearly the best pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball.

Following in the footsteps of Hideo Nomo, Ichiro Suzuki, Hideki Matsui, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hiroki Kuroda, Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka, and others who rose to the top of Nippon Professional Baseball, Yamamoto is headed to a bigger stage. ,

Major League scouts flock to Yamamoto’s games. In Japan, Yamamoto has outperformed Senga, so there is a lot of interest.

Imanaga is another player that major league clubs have their eyes on. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft and has been a starter since his freshman year, winning eight games. Last season, he threw a no-hitter against the Nihon Ham Fighters in interleague play.

After posting 11 wins last year, Imanaga represented Japan at the WBC in March. He started the final against the United States and allowed one run in two innings. Earlier, in the first round group stage game against South Korea, he pitched three innings in relief of Darvish. The WBC confirmed his competitiveness. He also represented Japan in the 2019 Premier12.

In 19 games this season, he went 7-3 with a 2.81 ERA and 152 strikeouts. He has more strikeouts than Yamamoto. He is first in both leagues.

In addition to Yamamoto, the New York Mets are also keeping an eye on Imanaga, according to reports in the U.S. media. In addition to the Mets, seven other teams, including the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals, are reportedly checking in on Imanaga. One outlet listed Imanaga, along with Yamamoto and Lee Jung-hoo, as three Asian stars to watch this winter.바카라사이트

Imanaga gave up three runs on 10 hits in 5⅔ innings against the Hiroshima Carp on June 6, while striking out 10. At the plate, he hit a double and a triple.