The winner of the WBN’s International Player of the Week is Fukuoka SoftBanks Hawks right-handed pitcher Carter Stewart Jr. in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.
Stewart Jr., 24, struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven innings and gave up one run against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Es Con Field in Hokkaido, Japan. His only blemish was a solo shot from catcher Ariel Martinez in a 5-1 win. Stewart Jr. walked two hitters and gave up six hits against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters on June 28.
He throws a fastball that tops out at 97 MPH, and his second-best pitch is his sweeper, which averages 80 miles per hour. He also features a changeup as his third pitch. He has been incorporating a splitter and gyro slider this season.
Stewart Jr’s numbers this season are 52 innings, 46 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.60. He debuted in the NPB debut with the Fukuoka SoftBanks Hawks in 2021. He’s pitched three seasons for them and pitched for their farm team in 2022.
His NPB career numbers are 144.2 innings, 141 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.55.
Stewart Jr. hoped to go to the MLB out of Eau Gallie High School in Florida in 2018. He was ranked fifth on MLB Pipeline’s Top 200 Draft Rankings. He was drafted eighth overall by the Atlanta Braves in the 2018 MLB Draft. He didn’t sign with them because he got a wrist injury, and the Braves offered him a signing bonus below the draft slot value.
Stewart then attended Eastern Florida State College, a JUCO school, to keep himself eligible for the 2019 MLB Draft. His numbers for Eastern Florida State College were 74 innings, 107 strikeouts, and an ERA of 1.70.
He signed with the Fukuoka SoftBanks Hawks on May 21, 2019. After the 2023 season, Stewart Jr. signed a two-year $10 million extension. If he keeps up his strong pitching, he has a good chance of getting an MLB deal. Stewart Jr. will be eligible to go to MLB in 2025.
Photo Credit: Nineteen-year-old pitcher Carter Stewart, who was considered an early-round major league draft prospect, is introduced by the SoftBank Hawks. (Photo by Kyodo News Stills via Getty Images)
