The Shintaro Fujinami Experience is WILD

Let's examine Shintaro Fujinami's wild 2023 season so far and how he got here.
Previous Fujinami video: • What Happened to Shint...
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[@a0niy0shi]

It makes me cry to see his mother come all the way from Japan to cheer him on alone.

[@0xff-]

why? not many mothers get to experience that at all. She is lucky

[@carlthehipsterprepper4506]

He hit 103 while pitching for the Orioles two weeks ago. His stuff is amazing. The Os do a great job of fixing wild relievers of late and I think he will be their next success. He has looked pretty good since the Mets game when he hit 103.

[@NardoCantCook]

Worst case scenario give him to the Guardians. They never fail to get pitchers right

[@carlthehipsterprepper4506]

@@NardoCantCook The guy has got great stuff but you can tell he lacks confidence. He looked amazing that inning he hit 103 against the Mets. His stuff looked better than Bautista or Cano. I hope he build off it. Bautista and Cano were washed up pitchers before they got to the Os ironically.

[@darkwulf2k]

A key part of him being with the O's came the other night. When McCann went out to talk to him, and basically told him "you have the stuff, and trust in it", he then got the next 3 out, with i believe 2k's and a ground out. I think having a vet like McCann, and a good catcher like Adley will def help him.

[@davidtuttle7556]

Not only does he have velocity but his movement is crazy. If he ever learns to control it…look out.

[@darkwulf2k]

@@davidtuttle7556 With how the staff has worked with the bull pen and starters i see big potential here

[@papagrantits]

As an O's fan I WANT to see him succeed. His stuff is jaw-droppingly electric, and he has the velocity to close games. Hopefully he gets the confidence up being on a team that's really just having fun now. They're all his age, they're all goofballs, and clearly he can be a part of winning baseball.

[@LadyJay114]

Fuji just needs a team with good coaching, encouragement and a little bit of patience. This is exactly what the Orioles did with Yannier Cano and Felix Bautista - they were both reclamation projects that turned out quite well. BTW, he is NOT going to be DFA'd. The worst that's going to happen to him on the Orioles is he won't be put on a playoff roster. Elias is smart.... he knows someone will pick him up & potentially turn him into the pitching ninja he really is. If the O's do win it all Fuji still gets a championship ring.

[@watr19]

The a’s have some of the best pitching coaches in the league and get the most out of their pitchers

[@veritasinvicta8128]

I find it hilarious that the O's have passed Toronto in their rebuild, even though they started theirs three years later.

[@runningwithcat6195]

@@veritasinvicta8128 The O's haven't passed anything. One successful regular season doesn't dictate if the rebuilding has been successful or not, but rather have to see how they play for at least three years down the road. Just look at the Athletics, they have one excellent season, then go to shit for the next five years, then resurge for a year again, then go down the gutter again. But so far so good. The O's been looking great, but we'll have to see how they do well for the next few years.

[@uptown_baseball]

Fuji made it to the playoff today! LFGGGGG

[@ACD1994]

@@runningwithcat6195 Orioles will win the 2024 World Series.

[@wontbefamous2342]

I’d half argue that Fujinami’s command hasn’t improved a ton. One big change I saw with Oakland and with Baltimore is that now the catcher pretty much parks their mitt right down the middle. Absolute middle middle. Fujinami almost never actually hits his spot but, if it’s close enough, it’s a nasty pitch painted. Start the mitt down the middle, hope for the best

[@tommyjessup1366]

and when he hits his spot, nobody is hitting 103

[@wontbefamous2342]

@@tommyjessup1366 Yup. Fuji's stuff is nasty. 100-103mph fastball with tons of run, a sharp slider, and a splitter that falls off the face of the earth. Fujinami has everything to be a top pitcher, as long as he throws strikes. I'm hoping he can find some level of consistency since he's fun to watch when he's on. Also a little bit of effective wildness never hurt anyone, keeps batters on their toes

[@yo2trader539]

I think the way he's managed is better than earlier in his career in Japan. He's throwing short or shorter innings, which has enabled him to pitch at max level. While he was in Japan, he struggled a lot throwing longer innings.

[@coolenglishforthaikids483]

First time today the catcher was setting up high and inside.

[@kochan1147]

I watched Fujinami on TV when i came back to Japan 10 years ago, and he was my childhood hero, and was instantly one of my favorite pitchers alongside Nohmi and Kaneko. I really hope he succeeds, he has all the talent and stuff.

[@detectivefranku]

gonna root for him from now on, hope he finds his groove and confidence again

[@Kathy-22]

Me too

[@cameronairen]

I echo your words

[@letsrock434]

I love Fuji. Instantly became one of my favorite players when we traded for him. He came in with a Ghost runner in extras against the Angels and struck out 2/3 and kept it scoreless. The Confidence is building. With Felix out, Fuji looks destined to take the mantle of the closer. I can't wait to see Fuji pitch high leverage spots these playoffs. Just when Baltimore needed another mountain they found Mt. Fuji 🗻

[@omarsaucedo6944]

this is exactly how i feel about him he’s so good but damn wild

[@pingamalinga]

Lots of great pitchers were like that. Pedro, Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan.

[@dylanplakas9360]

As an o’s fan i think this guy has all the stuff to be a shutdown reliever and i hope he can keep building confidence for the playoff run

[@avrivah1101]

He seems like a nice guy and I wish him all the best. It's got to be hard to possess that level of talent and feel alienated from his own experiences.

[@tobi3983]

As a Orioles fan , Fujinami has been “okay” but when he’s really dialed in he can be great. I was happy when we traded for him and I’m really hoping he can get a little control if not by the post season, next season. He can turn into someone really special

[@verbaljay433]

Guy is an otherworldly talent. The way the radar gun speed pops off the screen when he’s on is one of the few pure moments I’ve felt in sports.

[@mrfreshsavage1130]

I love Fuji. We need to keep him and work with him because he’s a true talent.

[@anthonyamorellimusic]

I think you really hit it with the imposter syndrome assessment. Pitching and having a feel for the zone and having a feel for your pitch grips, it’s all reliant on your mental clarity. Lack of confidence, anxiety, imposter syndrome, he’s getting stuck in his head and that’s why he looses the zone. His stuff is electric, he just needs to get a few wins and get some confidence.

[@jeancoates6125]

I support him. I believe he has significant ability to be a great contributor to the O’s. He needs confidence and good coaching.

[@TheJiggaNasty]

As a Baltimore fan, I'm definitely pulling for Fuji. But he has to improve quickly. We're in it to win it!

[@TheMscandy123]

I’ve always been interested in his story after watching tons of videos of Ohtani. I have always wondered where he is now when he was on the same level or even better than Ohtani during Koshien, but there seems to not be much story about him. I only realy read someone saying his control is terrible. I can relate to him, sport is 80% a mental game. Im rooting for him!

[@00millern]

Yeah I'm rooting for him, it's tough to watch when he's a bit off but he has good highs and we (O's) have a good history with bringing in pitchers and fixing them in the bullpen. I hope he shows enough that we give him an offer for next season too.

[@jonathantaone7363]

Love this video and your channel keep up the good work! I remember hearing about A’s signing Fujinama and saw his spring training which was unheard of! I agree 💯 he has the stuff and the “it” factor to succeed it might be more mental and pressure being in MLB? Here’s hoping for a long and successful career for Shintaro!

[@mknwy]

6:43 Also because he’s a 6’6 generational talent who can throw 97-100mph consistently. That’s why he’ll always be on one team, or another, even if he has 20 ERA. Because everyone will think “what if he develops even semi decent command and gets confidence??” And they won’t be wrong to hope. His genetics and his stuff CANNOT be taught. And he’s crazy young

[@lukeborchardt1807]

I was at an A’s v. Red Sox game about a month ago and when Fujinami was warming up on the on-field bullpen the catcher misplayed 3 fastballs in a row and the ball kept going into play. Never seen someone just blow away a catcher like that

[@jihost2589]

The big thing since his trade is that the Os wanted to give him some low leverage opportunities to build his confidence. Sadly there havent been that many of those since he joined. But from what I've seen he definitely lets pressure get to him and I hope he gets some chances to build himself up.

[@williammurphy7410]

Fuji will come around. He is now working with a great pitching staff & coaches plus being handled by a fantastic catcher ( Rutschman). He has the stuff, just needs to gain confidence and put his career lowlights behind him. He also has access to Jim Palmer and Rick Dempsey who can give a ton of advice.

[@brettrossi034]

When i watch his wind up here, to the follow through and the pitch itself, he looks so effortless in throwing fast heaters. Like its completely natural to him and he remains poised, despite some rough patches and adversity. Granted, im also just a casual viewer and not an expert, just what i see

[@MorrisChestbutt]

There’s quite a few of us O’s fans who are wanting Fujinami to be great. The arm talent is there, one thing he’s been doing in Baltimore that’s somewhat worked is he’s really been throwing 2 pitches. Fastball/Splitter. No need to h throw 5-6 pitches in 1 inning.

[@brodiebrazil]

Watching the video and didn't know I'd make a cameo! haha. Interesting breakdown.

[@michaels8879]

Saw him pitch against the mariners in August, he had the makings of something incredible. Just absolute GAS over and over.

[@diego-dias]

Don't like sounding like one of those "narrative" guys but I'll be damned if Fujinami isn't one of the more interesting "characters" in MLB right now. Not to mention he's a HANDSOME six foot six giant-

[@davet2459]

He is in zero danger of being DFA'd. No one is giving up on a pitcher at just 29 and under team control until 2029 who can hit 103 with movement. Jordan Hicks has very similar stuff and he has taken many years trying to gain control. It may happen or it may not but teams realize with these guys that if they do find that control they will be virtually unhittable.

[@johndavenport2847]

He deserves a lot of patience as a person and as a player. Hes a gem when hes dealing and I think he can hone it

[@Nevrop-no5rt]

Bring him to the Marlins and he’d do better there imo. Less eyes, good pitching staff, I think they can make it work if Baltimore lets him go. We saw really good stuff near the end of his oakland tenure. Cant be any worse than current Cueto right now lol

[@JordanKropnick]

Marlins have great pitching coaches, and I think they have the most underrated pitching in the league. This coming from a Phillies fan, we seem to struggle in our series against the Marlins.

[@LeoKinhg]

I mean, the Orioles have been good this year, even though they don't have big names on the mound, plus rutschman works well with his pitchers.

[@ThatGuy-kd3nw]

@JordanKropnick the fish still haven’t been able to fix Edward cabrera’s command issues and are unable to solve why Alcantara hasn’t maintained his dominance this year. They have too many projects to take on another struggling pitcher

[@Nevrop-no5rt]

Cabrera for Fujinami? 🤔🤔🤔 Sandy has also been looking like his old self lately.

[@rorymcnally8091]

I might give up Dane Myers or smth like that for Fujinami. He could break out with good coaches that Miami has and having a pitchers park to play in.

[@behouse310]

MLB brought him back for good. That's because this league has great coaches, managers, team officials, and a passion for baseball. thank you

[@user-vf6kb3dz3d]

As a fan of him since NPB player, I'm so happy for him coz many MLB fans cheer him up and team member look for the best way to improve more. Last carrier in NPB, it was painful seeing that he was struggling to outting the death spiral.

[@jaysuho2917]

He finally made some action with the game on the Aug. 25th with 2 inning, 2 K's, only allowing one hit, and the win to extend his win/lose record to: 6 wins/8 loss. The dude is now making some action now that the postseason race is coming up soon. Hope He continues to thrive and keep up with these videos for many of these underrated players.

[@anthonyestrada8262]

Rays or Dodgers should get him. They will turn his career around for the best! The talent is there, the mentality state is shaky but Japanese man is no quitter. Rooting for him.

[@RicciChoi1109]

Both Kanemoto and Yano didn't perform their jobs properly. They should give the middle finger to both senior managements working in Noda (headquarters of Hanshin) and Umeda (headquarters of Hankyu), stop Fujinami keep failing himself in the starting rotation and force him to transform as a reliver.

[@asianbeowulf4276]

Lol

[@ramenlover1727]

He is doing good I knew he had stuff

[@teachersama]

He's "weirdly good" I'd say. I think he will work on his mechanics/command during the offseason and he will return to a better form for 2024.

[@prodinuyasha]

baseball sadly doesnt work like this. You are delusional if you think he hasnt been working on that for years. He is prone to having little to no command and it will most likely stay like this forever, you cant just press a button and become better in one offseason.

[@LadyJay114]

@@prodinuyasha MLB coaching is much different from NPB coaching because MLB is a larger league & more competitive. If he really believes in himself and stays in the US over the offseason with an MLB coach, he can be turned around. He has the stuff and he's motivated, he just needs better direction.

[@prodinuyasha]

@@LadyJay114 MLB pitching coaches are so good, thats why they keep looking for the ones out of NPB every damn season right? Ironic...

[@willstw]

NPB's coaching system is weird,it's performance basiclly depands on the team's office politics Fujinami's 10 years in Hanshin Tigers the team is totally a mess (well in my opinion Hanshin Tigers is a chaos parade for over 20 years though) I think it influence him a lot.

[@user-yx5sj1vm4q]

It is so funny that an English video about Fuji is watched more than 50k times already. He has some weird popularity in Japan right now. He was just seen as a failure with great talent before going to MLB. Many people blamed his work ethic. But after he went to MLB, with his "wild" pitches, he gained a meme-like status. Great to know it is kind of the same in the US too lol.

[@Kk-ts4rz]

Hi Im curious why were they blaming his work ethic? Does he have scandals in japan or any talks of him slacking?

[@user-lg7xl8kt8i]

最近の藤浪楽しそうだから嬉しい

[@yoke-munchan1813]

Thanks for the upload, as I'm new to watching baseball and still learning the game and term used.

[@RangersNation-qk4px]

Welcome to the big apple.

[@rdrisms]

This is a guy whose stuff is so good, MLB teams will keep giving him chances until it absolutely falls apart the volatility of relief pitchers means that even inconsistent ones will have stretches, or even seasons, of consistency, and that can be enough for a playoff push and of course I will root for him, who doesn't like seeing 103 on the radar gun?

[@potatosplanes]

I saw Fujinami pitch during spring training @ camelback ranch. It was fun.

[@anthonyestrada8262]

GO FUJINAMI!!!🔥🙏🏽

[@PcaKestheaod]

Great vid! I liked and subbed, can't wait to learn more about the NPB from you!

[@user-ls2rt4kc6h]

There are two notorious Japanese baseball managers: Kanemoto and Tatsunami. They are literally anachronism, punishing players by humiliating them in public. Just about a week ago, Tatsunami forced a 24 year old pitcher to pitch over 60 balls at one inning, giving up 10 runs. This reminds me of Kanemoto forcing Fujinami to pitch as many as 160 balls. I strongly believe the two cruel baseball strongmen should be evicted of NPB for the sake of its development.

[@tigeryo8943]

from what it seems though, kanemoto is a genius scout - his draft picks have been so on point. He should be a GM or something

[@um1hito109]

Hence why Chunichi will never win with Tatsunami.

[@shimsham9113]

i remember the A's came into town against our guardians and we were down i was watching with my bro and said oh we got this Fujinamis coming in to relieve and his ERA was over 10 and then he threw 100-102 8 times in a row and that was it scoreless inning and i was shocked

[@willo.2324]

As an Orioles fan I am hopeful but time is running out and ever game counts for the division. Man when MT. Fuji is on his stuff is electric ⚡⚡ but when he's off he is abysmal and he's been more off than on. He's Too Jekyll and Hyde for me but I am rooting for him to put it all together. Go O's 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@DamnAwesome]

I don't watch baseball or know anything about it, but this video kept me interested, awesome video!

[@breguera77]

I remember watching this guy Phillies vs Athletics, and me being a Phillies fan saw this dude hit 102 and I went, “yo who is this guy??” He got beat up in the inning he pitched but I know he has all the tools to improve and be a really good pitcher

[@anzalone138]

He just needs glasses like ricky Vaughn and rhen hell be lights out👍

[@mknwy]

Same as Joe Kelly. Insane stuff, generational talent. But no command. So basically, nothing else matters if you don’t have at least semi-decent command consistently

[@anthonyfam5469]

Dude is like a super unpolished Roki Sasaki

[@tobimaromizunokoji]

I do feel that with the proper mental coaching he would be the good pitcher that he can be way more often. He already has what's needed, he just needs to see it and feel comfortable in it.

[@ryanfox4462]

I saw him pitch in pittsburgh and he looked ok, but was wild af.

[@Napiernumber]

アスレチックス、並びにオリオールズのコーチ陣には感謝しきれません。 まさか、ど真ん中にミットを構えることが彼の才能を引き出すなんて....

[@DevelopersDevelopers]

He'll definitely get a contract from a smart pitching team. (Rays, CLE, Dodgers, Baltimore???, Twins??)

[@Daniel-yq5gm]

Fujinami got traded to the orioles during the trade deadline

[@ac5467]

need him on the twins so bad, i'd even give him a chance to start again

[@sweatyraider7241]

Dodgers pitching lab is going to turn him into Kershaw

[@bigcocjoc8432]

I wish nothing but the best for him

[@jmedlin81]

something beautiful/elegant about his pitching stride

[@user-no6zn7or8w]

頑張れ藤浪

[@rambo6166]

As a die hard orioles fan.....hes so fun to watch.....the results might not be there YET.....but i have a good feeling about him and i hope we resign him to a team friendly deal in the off-season.

[@provincialfish]

I'm an O's fan, and honestly, I'm not sure what to think of him yet. He's been good and not so good, but all the Baltimore middle relief is the same story, we've been seeing the same thing all year with several relievers. I hope he evens out and becomes an asset.

[@KeepItReal213]

He has the coolest name in baseball‼️

[@adieognira9709]

Fujinami is still a diamond in the rough. I believe he is emotionally affected and once he gains that confidence he will be wild (in a good sense). He has the stuff, he just needs to be more confident of what he can deliver. One trait of being a professional is to be firm and to not let your emotions drive you. Being driven by emotions is a double edge sword, it can be good and it can be bad. also, this will lead to inconsistency and consistency at play is what baseball franchises look for in a player. They would rather have a player that is average than a player that is a GOAT then in the next minute a FLOP. Just my thoughts on the matter.

[@pdids8947]

Just started an Oakland A's franchise on mlb the show, im going to have to pick this guy back up for my bullpen. Maybe after a year or two, once ive fired the coaching staff, and hired some better ones haha Very excited to see how he'll develop irl, sounds like a good pitching coach could go a long way with him, so much potential.

[@xOgawa]

I wish Fujinami the best.

[@richardrobinson1663]

If he can figure it out and lock down the 7th inning of games for the O's I won't care what his ERA was prior to his arrival in Baltimore.

[@AnimeBronx]

He’s giving up 9 runs in 14 innings with the Orioles. He’s been even worse with the O’s.

[@mikecurry2618]

It appears he needs to hold tension in his hips/pelvis through delivery into foot plant. He is allowing slack in the delivery which leads to inconsistent timing . Watch how his back hip flies out. I wish him the best, he as incredible stuff!

[@NotExplicable]

The Blue Jays have done a good job of helping their new high velocity pitchers. They even fixed Kikuchi, he could stand to go to Toronto next year.

[@XiaoPP1]

Best regards for Fuji from Seattle.

[@PlasticEater14]

I met Cole Irvin and Fugi at In and out 3 days ago. I got a pic w them as well they were really cool.

[@alexbaltimore]

Yeah being a O’s fan he’s got a nasty arm. He just needs consistency and he’s golden. I think he can be an amazing closer if he gets some swagger or something

[@jmu76featuring61]

He the type of guy to be like this then when he hit 30 he gon make an all star team lol

[@Owenthebaseballguy]

He’s very likable

[@jameschu12]

Wait a second this guy throws harder than Chapman or shohei

[@usertpjdtbwgmwtd]

金本の晒し投げが海外に晒されてて草

[@milfhunter8887]

The manager that left the poor guy in the game for 161 pitches is a true piece of work. Wonder if that's a normal thing in Japan, like a baseball version of seppuku.

[@ja-iw2gc]

日本では野手登板(position players pitching)が一般的ではないため、試合の序盤に大量に失点しても中継ぎ投手を温存するために先発投手に続投させることがあります

[@user-vb3wo2ez6l]

That is not the norm in Japan either. Fujinami was greatly supported by Japanese fans, so Kanemoto's anachronistic 161 pitch received a lot of criticism. Fans called it a "sarashi nage" ("exposed throw"), referring to the punishment of "sarashikubi" in the Samurai era, when a criminal's head was cut off and exposed to the public. Some people say that Kanemoto broke Fujinami. Many fans hoped that Fujinami would move to another team and come back. It was a surprise that it was in the major leagues, but anyway, he seems to be making a comeback. I am glad about it.

[@gruberaj]

Sounds like he's had some really poor mentorship along the way. He could also be a prime candidate for a sports psych, and there's nothing wrong with that. He's got everything else going for him.

[@Nick--69]

i believe in you Fuji

[@PrimarySweeper13]

Miss him on the A’s

[@jko8888]

I'm wondering if you're interested in doing an episode or series on NPB umpiring. We know the system in the US is a bit messed up, and we've seen "veteran" umpires in the MLB blow so many calls time after time. I'm curious if the NPB is any better. What is their system like? Are they held accountable, or are they a good old boys system like in American pro baseball?

[@trowawayrizzay]

160 pitches is wild. That's career homicide.

[@davidmorris6254]

Is it really? Nolan Ryan used to throw as hard and routinely had games with 150+ pitches. I think it depends somewhat on the individual and the mechanics

[@huckstaunfiltered8200]

Nolan Ryan actually threw over 200 pitches in a game.

[@Summer-pn1wm]

That's Hanshin for you

[@tonyhamilton9764]

As an Orioles fan, I was fine with the trade. The Orioles have really coached up some pitching of late. 3.5m is so little for a pitcher that throws 100mph., I would definitely support locking him up for another year or two and seeing what our coaching could produce. If it fails, it's a very small (in baseball terms) investment.

[@stopitdad69]

Now that Bautista is done for the year, Fuji will have to step up big time. Time will tell if this ends up being the best or worst trade of the deadline.

[@dcsc2007]

O's Magic Baby!!! Hit that stride!

[@giantblossom2349]

He won’t be DFA’d this year, maybe next year or this offseason but he’s going to b able to pitch for the O’s for the rest of the year.

[@pingamalinga]

David Stearns was right to take a flyer on this dude. If he can get some of his command back he is a very serious weapon out of the pen. I do not believe the Mets have plans to stretch him out again. Will be exciting to watch and see.

[@jak1165]

Makes me think of Steve Dalkowski. Despite never pitching about Class B minor leagues, it was estimated that Dalkowski threw the as fast as 110 mph. While pitching in the California League in 1960, he struck out 262 batters in 170 innings. He also walked 262 batters. While pitching for the Orioles class D farm team, he lost a one hitter 9-8 because he walked 17 batters and hit 4 others Supposedly, the character of Nuke LaLoosh is loosely based on Dalkowski

[@TheFirephoenix76]

If Shintaro learns to develop a cut fastball to his arsenal of pitches, that might help him... Especially against left-handed batters...

[@vampirecountingmoneyup2248]

Great video

[@user-nc6wp3lo1e]

I don't care which team, as long as he has a great baseball career.

[@gwang-mu9251]

That manager who forced him to pitch 160 pitches is human garbage.

[@ceryno3571]

Is it just me or does his mechanics look different with baltimore?

[@cafelate9515]

He is not a bad pitcher. First time seeing him he is throwing 100mph. There is something about him that you can’t ignore about

[@miguel.ledesmaledesma1790]

Welcome to the best borough of NYC in Queens. Hopefully,with Stearns,the pitching whisperer,and with our new avant- garde pitching lab,we will finally get him right. His problem is mental. The stuff is definitely there. LGM!!!

[@GroovyBabyYeah]

We had to get really lucky. He had to be older and have his troubles in Japan and therefore not on the spectrum for the media to get lots of hype like some godly prospect. He had to be cheaper. We weren't going to sign Matsuzaka. And even then we still didn't get him, we didn't even court him, we lucked into this. He had to have an atrocious stint in the starting rotation which he then somewhat recovered in the bullpen and had minor growing pains again for them to quickly pull the plug. We only had to give up some generic relief pitcher in the minor leagues. Unless that dude turns into Erik Bedard in the future I'm not going to be losing sleep. Sometimes it's good to not have rose colored glasses and just call it how they're performing right in front of you. But with reclamation projects existing and what we know, would you really give up on a guy who CAN throw as talented as he is? I'm reminded of crap shoots like the Rule 5 draft and a former prospect of ours known as Jason Garcia who we kept around because he struck out a lot of our guys and could throw 100 as a starter. You're going to get rid of a guy who's throwing harder than Justin Verlander also with the possibility of being a starter who has the frame and experience (to carry that load without straining for injury) to give you that possible projection and who's worst days ahead with some small gross would be a nasty relief option? The worst part is his age for a foreign prospect hence the lack of media attention, and his struggles in Japan and in MLB which are worrisome. I wouldn't give up on a 40 year old pitcher throwing as good as he does talent wise. He throws as hard as Nolan Ryan (on a soft day lol) and has the break on his pictures of some of the nastiest relievers I've ever seen when he gets it right. The fact that I've heard some people saying to give up on him already is ridiculous. This guy fell into our lap and it was pure luck as an Orioles fan. We didn't go after him, we weren't going to sign a guy to a Tanaka contract, because of his struggles and age we got a chance at a great and formerly great Japanese prospect. I would sign him right now

[@iF1nish]

get this guy to the yanks with Matt Blake he will be a superstar reliver in no time

[@Ruffruff22347]

He should be a Diamondback. Strom is an elite pitching coach.

[@felixfors9340]

Nah