The recent historic signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto by the Dodgers prompted Tyler Kepner of The Athletic to dive into the history of Japanese pitchers that have made their way across the Pacific to pitch in the States.
The Braves aren’t typically an organization known for dabbling in the market for Asian born players, but 15 years ago they did just that, inking Kenshin Kawakami to a three-year, $23 million contract, and perhaps that’s why they have been hesitant to do so since.
Kenshin Kawakami
Team: Atlanta Braves
Signed: January 2009
Terms: Three years, $23 million
Career WAR: 1.2After a decent first season with the Braves, Kenshin Kawakami went 1-10, got shipped to the minors and then outrighted off the 40-man roster. When they failed to trade him or entice him to return to Japan, the Braves sheepishly invited Kawakami to spring training two weeks into workouts. “It feels like I was in elementary school. I was sick the whole time, and then I came back,” he told reporters. Kawakami remained in elementary school purgatory (the minors) in 2011 before returning to the Chunichi Dragons.
Kawakami was 33-years-old at the time and coming off a fantastic season in the Japanese Central League, posting a 2.30 ERA, 8.6 K/9, and 1.057 WHIP. But unfortunately, the success didn’t translate to America.
Kawakami had a respectable first season in Atlanta, posting a 3.86 ERA across 32 appearances (25 starts), but the very next season would be his last in the majors. He began the year 1-10 with a 5.15 ERA, leading to demotion and an eventual return to Japan.
The rest of Kepner’s list is chock full of Japanese players whose careers panned out similarly to Kawakami after coming to the States. There are some success stories, like most recently with Shohei Ohtani, and analytics have allowed for better predictive analysis in regards to how pitchers will stack up when coming to Major League Baseball. However, what can’t be measured is how players will react to an entirely different culture and expectations.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s stuff is undeniable. He could be a future Hall of Famer if everything goes right. But there’s an enormous amount of risk in handing a 25-year-old a 12-year contract north of $300 million before he’s even stepped foot on an MLB mound. The Dodgers are one of the few teams that can afford to take that gamble, and while I do not wish ill on anybody, it would be just wonderful if they came out looking like idiots at the end of this.
—
Photo: Larry Goren/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.