Yusei Kikuchi may end up being a Japenese baseball pioneer. The 18-year-old lefty could become the first Japanese player to make the jump directly from high school to Major League Baseball.
Up to this point, no Japanese ballplayers have forgone pro baseball in Japan for the United States. Most of them are drafted into the Nippon Professional Baseball league and have to wait as long as nine years for free agency. Junichi Tazawa was the first player from Japan to ask not to be drafted by the NPB. He ended up playing in the Japanese corporate league until he was signed by the Boston Red Sox.
It’s an extremely interesting case because it could change the way major league teams view Japanese prospects. If they are able to persuade these kids to skip the NPB draft, they can sign them at substantially lower rates since they don’t have to pay the club team to negotiate with the player. Clearly, signing younger players presents more risk for MLB teams — but they can save a ton of money and develop the players in their farm system.
Yusei Kikuchi has a fastball clocked between 94 and 96 and is expected to make a decision by the end of October. The six-footer generated a ton of interest after striking out 32 batters in 25 innings during a Japanese high school regional tournament. He’s being courted by teams including the Red Sox, Dodgers, Giants, Rangers, Yankees, Mets, Indians, and Mariners. It’s reported that many people around him are suggesting that he stay in Japan. If he does make the jump to America, it’s likely he will start in the low minors.
