Last year, 5 wins left-hander Ogasawara Washington, 15 wins left-hander Imana thanks to the halo, 4 Japanese pitchers challenge to the Major League (Min Chang-ki's Japanese baseball)

Jan 25, 2025

Ogasawara, who announced his contract with Washington on the 25th posting deadline. Throw nine seasons in Chunichi and fly to the U.S. Photo capture = Chunichi Dragons SNS

Ogasawara is the first-place rookie of the 2016 Chunichi Dragons. He pitched 161 games and won 46 games. Photo capture = Chunichi Dragons SNS

Ogasawara's pitching appearance. Photo capture = Chunichi Dragons SNS

Following Tomoyuki Sugano (36), Rocky Sasaki (24), and Yo Aoyagi (32), another Japanese pitcher will fly through the United States. Chunichi Dragons left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara (28) signed with the Washington Nationals. The two-year contract was reported as it was imminent at 5 a.m. (Korea time) on the 25th, the deadline for posting. Japanese media reported that Ogasawara departed for the United States on the 23rd and is staying there.

Ogasawara has expressed his intention to challenge for the Major League from 2023. I contracted and prepared with a big agency in the U.S. First, I created an opportunity.

It was the second Chunichi player to decide to go to the U.S. after posting. It has been 21 years since Akinori Otsuka in 2004. Otsuka pitched four seasons with the San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers. In 2004, he posted 34 holds for San Diego, ranking first in the National League. He pitched in 236 games and recorded 39 saves and 74 holds (13-15 losses) with a 2.44 ERA.

There is no beast this year either. Following last year, four pitchers threw a winning move. Last year, the Central League's most winning champion Sugano signed with the Baltimore Orioles, the Los Angeles Dodgers for Sasaki for shooting 165 km/h, and the Philadelphia Phillies for Aoyagi, the top Central League player in 2021-2022. Three people except Sugano went through the posting. Sasaki and Aoyagi signed minor league contracts.

If Ogasawara and Aoyagi are in place, they will often see a showdown between Japanese pitchers. Washington and Philadelphia, and Senga Godai (32), who will be in his third year in the Major League, are all members of the National League East Division.

Last year, Yamamoto Yoshinobu (27, LA Dodgers), Shota Imanaga (32, Chicago Cubs), Yuki Matsui (30, San Diego), and Naoyuki Uwasa (31) boarded a flight to the U.S.

Yamamoto and Imanaga showed their presence as the main starters from their debut season. Imanaga won 15 games, and Yamamoto won seven. 일본 최고 투

Four Japanese pitchers will challenge for the Major League this year. Last year, Sugano, the Central League's most winning player, signed a one-year $13 million contract with Baltimore. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Sue has shown that it works right in the major leagues. Matsui also proved his competitiveness as a key bullpen player.

Yamamoto, dubbed the `Super Ace,' ranked first in the Pacific League in multiple wins, ERA, and strikeouts for the third consecutive year in 2021-2023. Imanaga became the No. 1 overall strikeout in the Japanese professional baseball in 2023, and Matsui became the major leaguer after ranking first in saves in the Pacific League in 2023.

Wausawa, who started in the minor leagues, made his major league debut. However, they did not survive the fierce competition. He played only two games for the Boston Red Sox. He returned to Japan after a year. It was controversial because he signed with the Softbank Hawks, not the original Nippon Ham Fighters.

He joined the Chunichi Rookie of the Year in 2016.

Ogasawara became Chunichi's youngest opening pitcher ever in his third year as a professional in 2018. He won a career-high 10 games in 2022 and exceeded the prescribed innings for four consecutive years from 2021 to 2024. 46-56 with a 3.62 ERA in 161 career games.

Imana won 15 games in her debut season last year. Since his first year, he has been an active starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. Photo capture = Chicago Cubs SNS

Last season, he started 24 games and went 5-11 with a 3.12 ERA. The team was sluggish and did not have a noticeable performance. Chunichi came in last for the last three years in a row.

Last year, left-hander Imana was active, raising interest in Japanese left-handers. Ogasawara may also be painting Imanaga last year in her head.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.