As the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) season progresses, here is a look at the top news and notes from the past week in Japan’s highest level of professional baseball.
Major League Baseball Scouts Observe Roki Sasaki
MLB scouts from 15 organizations were in attendance to watch superstar pitcher Roki Sasaki take the mound for the Chiba Lotte Marines last Friday night, reports Yahoo! Japan. Sasaki felt no added pressure.
In a 6-2 win against the first-place Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the 22-year-old threw seven shutout innings, striking out seven in the process. This performance was arguably Sasaki’s best start of the year. Of the 101 pitches he threw, Sasaki generated 20 swings and misses, sitting 98-100 mph on his fastball.
MLB scouts yearn to watch Sasaki pitch, and general managers are eager to discuss contract negotiations. However, the Marines may hesitate to post Sasaki before he turns 25, as the organization receives a posting fee dependent on his contract. Additionally, the MLB posting system requires foreign-born players to play at least six seasons of professional baseball to be eligible for free agency without contract restriction.
Cuban LHP Livan Moinelo Makes History
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks southpaw Livan Moinelo became the first non-Japanese lefty in franchise history to win 10 games in a season last Tuesday, helping defeat the Orix Buffaloes 3-1. Moinelo, born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, allowed one earned run on three hits with strikeouts in six innings.
Moinelo transitioned from a bullpen arm to a starting pitcher at the beginning of the 2024 season. Due to his role change, Moinelo also became the first non-Japanese pitcher in NPB history to record 100 or more career holds and double-digit wins, NPB on Reddit on X reported on August 27.
Moinelo struggled mightily in his recent start on Tuesday against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, lasting only three innings due to six earned runs, including five in the top of the first. He began his professional baseball career in the Serie Nacional de Béisbol in 2013, debuting with the Vegueros de Pinar del Río. That Vegueros de Pinar del Rio team also featured an 18-year-old named Randy Arozarena.
NPB to Test Multiple Bases at First Base in Instructional Fall League
In Little League baseball and many softball leagues worldwide, two bases are utilized at first base—one for the first baseman and one for the runner. Using double bases helps ensure player safety and decreases the chance of injury and collisions.
In an article posted by Yahoo! Japan on Monday, the Japanese media outlet reported that NPB will use its fall baseball instructional league, the Miyazaki Phoenix League, as a test subject to determine the possibility of using double bases at first base in NPB. The Miyazaki Phoenix League helps improve the skills of minor league players and potential future NPB stars.
“We will collect opinions and data from coaches, players, and referees to consider whether to actually to introduce it in the future,” NPB Secretary General Atsushi Ihara told Yahoo! Japan. The rule change would be an adjustment for NPB players, specifically first baseman and baserunners.
This Day in Japanese Baseball History
On September 4, 2015, Japanese left-handed pitcher Tsuyoshi Wada played the final game of his two-year MLB career with the Chicago Cubs.
In a 14-5 blowout against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Wada threw one scoreless inning in relief, allowing one hit. He finished his MLB career with 21 appearances (20 starts), a 3.36 ERA in 101.2 innings, and 88 strikeouts.
Accomplishments on Wada’s baseball resume include representing Japan in the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, Pacific League Rookie of the Year in 2003, Pacific League MVP in 2010, six-time NPB All-Star, and five-time Japan Series champion with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Now 43, Wada has a 4.01 ERA in five games with the Hawks in 2024.
NPB Standings as of Wednesday, September 4
Central League
Pacific League
You can stream all NPB games on DAZN.
_____
WBN NPB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Photo Credit: Livan Moinelo #89 of Cuba pitches in the seventh inning during the World Baseball Classic Pool E Game One between Cuba and Israel at Tokyo Dome on March 12, 2017 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Matt Roberts/Getty Images)
