Rookie Standouts: Shinya Matsuyama and Shota Watanabe Shine in 2022 Baseball Draft

Shinya Matsuyama’s Struggles Inspire Players from 12 Teams

The “2023 Professional Baseball Draft Conference sponsored by Lipovitan D” had a roster of players anticipated to make an immediate impact, but let’s take a moment to reflect on the 2022 draft, one year ago. While it’s too early to judge success or failure based solely on a rookie’s first year performance, which team saw the most improvement from their rookies this season?

Baseball commentator Toshihiro Noguchi, a former catcher for Yakult and Nippon-Ham during his playing days, argues that it’s important to assess results based on a single year, especially for teams that prioritize high school players for their potential. “Looking at the outstanding performance of rookies this season, the Giants and Chunichi in the Central League, as well as Rakuten and Seibu in the Sea League, stand out,” he explains. These four teams finished in Class B this season. Noguchi acknowledges the circumstances that forced these teams to rely on rookies, but believes many of these players rose to the challenge.

Shogo Asano, the Giants’ top outfielder, played in 24 games in his first year out of high school, batting .250 with one home run. The Giants’ top five draft picks, including pitcher Hayao Matsui, made their debuts in the first team. Matsui, who ranked first in development, recorded 1 win, 1 loss, and a 3.26 ERA in 8 games, including 3 starts.

Discussing the Giants, Noguchi highlights the crucial roles played by infielder Makoto Kadowaki (ranked fourth) and pitcher Taiga Funasako (ranked fifth). Kadowaki showcased exceptional defensive skills while filling in for the injured Hayato Sakamoto, and he is expected to become the regular shortstop under new manager Shinnosuke Abe. Funasako also played an important role as a reliable middle infielder, with a 2.70 ERA and 3 wins in 36 games.

Chunichi’s first-round pick, pitcher Shinya Matsuyama, joined the team in training, registered in June, and became the fastest pitcher on the first team with a fastball clocked at 156km. With a forkball as a lethal weapon, Matsuyama achieved a 1-1 record, 1.27 ERA, and appeared primarily in the 8th inning. Noguchi commended his performance, stating that it inspired developing players from all 12 teams, giving them hope for future opportunities.

Rakuten’s Shota Watanabe Rivals Shunpei Yamashita for Rookie of the Year

Infielder Mikiya Tanaka, ranked sixth for Rakuten, made a strong impression during a warm-up against Samurai Japan in March. While he narrowly missed making the first team in the opening game, his hopes were cut short when he dislocated his right shoulder. Nevertheless, Tanaka eagerly anticipates his debut in the upcoming season. Second baseman Kaito Muramatsu exhibited his skills in 98 games, playing both second base and shortstop. Catcher Ryunosuke Yamaasa, ranked fourth, participated in seven first-team games, a significant achievement for a high school graduate.

Rakuten’s third-place pitcher, Shota Watanabe, delivered impressive performances in 51 relief appearances, tallying eight wins, three losses, and a remarkable 2.40 ERA. Noguchi believes Watanabe poses a challenge to Orix’s third-year pitcher Shunpei Yamashita in the battle for Rookie of the Year. Hiroto Monbetsu, the team’s second-round pick, debuted in September as a 19-year-old pitcher, offering promise for the future.

Seibu’s Ryo Kodama played a crucial role as the team’s sixth hitter, stepping in for infielder Sosuke Genda who suffered a right pinky finger injury at the World Baseball Classic. Despite making his debut on June 23rd, Kodama showcased his versatility by playing various positions. Pitcher Mikato Aoyama, Seibu’s fourth-round pick, remained on the roster for the entire season, proving his worth with 39 appearances, three saves, and a 2.96 ERA.

In addition to the previously mentioned teams, Hanshin’s outfielder Shota Morishita, a sought-after replacement for Asano, achieved tremendous success during the late stages of the season. Nineteen-year-old pitcher Hiroto Monbetsu made his debut for the team in September, providing a stepping stone for his future endeavors.

Individually, Nippon Ham’s second-round pitcher Shoma Kanemura secured his first professional win but sustained a shoulder injury that restricted him to only four first-team games. Nonetheless, with a 1.80 ERA and a record of two wins and one loss, Noguchi believes Kanemura possesses immense potential for growth in his second year. Yakult’s first-round pitcher, Kojiro Yoshimura, finished the season with four wins, two losses, and a 4.33 ERA in 12 games. However, he faced a three-month-long absence due to injury, hindering the full display of his abilities.

“Like Chunichi’s Matsuyama, Chano Orix (outfielder Atsumasa) and Hiroshima’s Takahiro Nakamura (outfielder) joined their respective teams as training players and made their way to the first team in their first year. It was truly remarkable,” Noguchi remarked. He eagerly awaits the upcoming season to witness the progression of players who may not have achieved their desired results in their initial year and those who dedicated their efforts towards physical improvement.

(Hirohisa Miyawaki)

Shinya Matsuyama Chunichi’s struggles gave courage to the players of 12 teams

The “2023 Professional Baseball Draft Conference sponsored by Lipovitan D” was packed with players expected to be effective right away, but I’d like to look back at the 2022 draft, a year ago. Of course, we can’t discuss success or failure based on the performance of his first year alone, but which team was the team where the rookie improved his ability this season?

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Baseball commentator Toshihiro Noguchi, who spent 21 years as a catcher for four teams including Yakult and Nippon-Ham during his playing days, says, “Some teams put an emphasis on nominating high school players in anticipation of their future potential , so it is important to compare results based on one year only.“As for the outstanding performance of the rookies this season, it is probably the Giants and Chunichi in the Central League, and Rakuten and Seibu in the Sea League. Quiet.”The four teams named are in Class B this season. “Due to the circumstances of the team, we had to use rookies, but I think there are many players who did well.”

The Giants’ No. 1 outfielder, Shogo Asano, played in 24 games in his first year out of high school and had a .250 batting average (10 hits in 40 at-bats) with one home run, and each of the five players nominated under Giants management were 1. He made his military debut. Pitcher Hayao Matsui, ranked No. 1 in development, was also registered under control in May, and played in 8 games, including 3 starts, in the first team, leaving a mark with 1 win, 1 loss, 2 catches , and an ERA of 3.26.

“The players who played indispensable roles for the Giants this year were Kadowaki (infielder Makoto), who came fourth, and Funasako (pitcher Taiga), who came fifth. When I think about it now, they should have been able to get them in the lower ranks,” Noguchi said. . Kadowaki showed his excellent defensive ability as a substitute as midfielder Hayato Sakamoto was out due to injury. He urged Sakamoto to convert to third base and is expected to be the regular shortstop next season when new manager Shinnosuke Abe takes over. Funasaka also played an outstanding role as a valuable middle infielder, with 3 wins and 1 loss in 36 games and a 2.70 ERA.

Pitcher Shinya Matsuyama, who joined Chunichi in the first position in training, was registered under control in June, and with his fastball of 156km, the fastest pitcher in the first team, and a fork with a long pitch, he won 1 and lost 1 in 36 games and had an ERA of 1.27. At the end of the season, he was mainly responsible for the 8th inning as one of the “winning patterns”. He praised Mr. Noguchi his performance, saying, “I think it was a valuable performance in the sense that it gave courage to the developing players of the 12 teams, saying, “You have to have a chance.”

Rakuten’s 3rd place Shota Watanabe “threatens Shunpei Yamashita in the race for Rookie of the Year”

Infielder Mikiya Tanaka, ranked 6th, is small at 166cm tall, but played well in the warm-up against Samurai Japan in March, and almost made the first team in the opening game, but his right shoulder was dislocated in the open game. Although he did not appear in the first team, he is looking forward to his “debut” next season. Second baseman Kaito Muramatsu played second base and shortstop in 98 games, making his presence felt. Fourth-place catcher Ryunosuke Yamaasa also participated in seven games for the first team, and Noguchi said, “It’s a big thing just for a high school graduate catcher to be able to participate in the first team from his first year.” ‘

Rakuten’s No. 3 pitcher, Shota Watanabe, has pitched in 51 games in relief, is tied for second on the team with eight wins (three losses), and has a good 2.40 ERA. Noguchi praised him highly, saying, “He is a threat to Orix third-year pitcher Shunpei Yamashita (pitcher, 9 wins, 3 losses, 1.61 ERA, 16 starts) in the Rookie of the Year competition.” Shoji, who is in first place, also has 5 wins and 3 losses in 19 starts and a 3.36 ERA, raising expectations for next season and beyond.

Seibu No. 6 hitter Ryo Kodama stepped in as infielder Sosuke Genda broke his right pinky finger at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March and was out for nearly two months after i’ the season begins. His first promotion to the first team was delayed until June 23rd, but he showed his ability by playing the No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 positions. Pitcher Mikato Aoyama, who came in 4th place, was not even removed from the list once throughout the season, and was a valuable asset with 39 games, 0 wins, 1 loss, 3 saves, and a 2.96 ERA.

In addition to the four teams mentioned above, Hanshin outfielder Shota Morishita, who was acquired as Asano’s “missing number one”, became a “tremendous success” as he settled in as number three from the end of the season to the series climax. Second base pitcher Hiroto Monbetsu made his team debut in September at the age of 19 and played in two games (one start), which is likely to be a stepping stone for next season.

Individually, Nippon Ham’s No. 2 pitcher Shoma Kanemura was added to the starting rotation and scored his first professional win, but injured his right shoulder and played in just four first-team games. Still, with 2 wins and 1 loss and an ERA of 1.80, Noguchi said, “I’ve proven that I’m good material.”We anticipate a leap forward from the second year on. Yakult’s No. 1 pitcher, Kojiro Yoshimura, finished with 4 wins, 2 losses, and a 4.33 ERA in 12 games, but was out of action for about 3 months from May 25th due to injury, so his ability isn’t there. great

“Like Chunichi Matsuyama, Chano Orix (Atsumasa outfield player, in 91 games) and Takahiro Nakamura from Hiroshima (outfield player, played in 15 games) joined the team as training players rising to the first team in their first year. It was amazing,” Noguchi said. I’m looking forward to seeing players who didn’t get the results they wanted in their first year and players who focused on building their bodies back up next season.

(Hirohisa Miyawaki)

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