This season will mark a record for the most Japanese baseball players in the Major Leagues. Some imports to keep a close eye on this season are Kosuku Fukudome, Chicago Cubs. Fukudome made an immediate impact in his first game at Wrigley Field, going 3-3 with a 3 run home run to tie the game in the ninth. He is a nice mix of power and speed, a hybrid of Ichiro and Matsui some say. He may be the perfect addition to an already potent Cubs lineup.
Another import to watch for is Hiroki Kuroda, of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 2005 he led the Japanese Central League with 15 wins. 2006 was a remarkable year for Kuroda, ending the season with a league-leading 1.85 ERA, the lowest of any starting pitcher since 1989. He had shoulder surgery in the off season of ‘06 and had a down year in 2007 with a record of 12-8 an ERA of 3.56. If his shoulder is fully healed he could be a great acquisition for the Dodgers.
Masahide Kobayashi, of the Cleveland Indians could end up being the best bargain out of the bunch. He is Japan’s third best closer of all time becoming the third pitcher in Japanese history to eclipse the 200 save mark. He’ll be a late inning set up man for Clevelands Joe Borowski, but Borowski performed poorly in 2007 and Kobayashi could find himself as the front runner for the job should Borowski fail to improve on his ’07 numbers.
It seems that there is no stopping the influx of Japanese imports into Major League Baseball. This goes to show that baseball players may be Japan’s best import, maybe even better than sushi.
