The New York Yankees are currently embroiled in a Wild Card series up against their fierce rivals, the Boston Red Sox. But even with postseason baseball on their plates, team building and scouting never stop. And a report out of Japan says the Yankees are leading the chase to sign one of the country’s best prospects.
Sports Nippon, the first Japanese daily sports newspaper, reports that a bidding war is underway for the services of 18-year-old Genki Ishigaki, a right-handed flamethrower. Among other teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the paper reports that the Yankees have “expressed interest in negotiating to acquire” the teenager, who will be passing through the Japanese equivalent of the MLB Draft next month.
It was revealed on the 27th that the Yankees, one of the most prestigious teams in Major League Baseball, have expressed interest in negotiating to acquire Genki Ishigaki (18), a right-handed pitcher from Kendai Takasaki (Gunma) with a top speed of 158 km/h, who is expected to be the first pick in the draft to be held on October 23rd.
Ishigaki’s Choice
Sports Nippon adds a scouting brief on Ishigaki to their story, in which they report him as having a 155 kilometers an hour fastball that has topped out at 158 km/h. In miles per hour, these figures equal 96mph and 98mph respectively, eye-catching marks for one so young who has also yet to go through MLB velocity camps.
As a member of the Japanese High School National Team, which finished second in the U-18 World Cup earlier this month, Ishigaki pitched a total of 3.2 innings in the championship game, while giving up no hits and only one run, against an American lineup filled with MLB draft candidates. The whole of Major League Baseball was watching that performance – the Yankees included.
Per Sports Nippon, the NPB Draft for young Japanese players caps signing bonuses at 100 million yen (approximately $675,000 at the time of writing), plus 50 million yen in performance bonuses. It is a large amount of money for a teenager in any currency. But Sports Nippon further reports that Major League teams interested in Ishigaki’s services are offering more, believed to be offering favorable terms of up to $2.5 million. As big as baseball is in Japan, the best money still exists in America, if Ishigaki wants it.
Japanese Yankees Throughout History
Over the years, the Yankees have had a small but notable history with Japanese players.
The most famous of them is probably Hideki Matsui, who joined the Yankees in 2003 after a stellar career with the Yomiuri Giants. Nicknamed âGodzilla,â Matsui quickly became a fan favorite for his steady bat and clutch performances, including a historic performance in the 2009 World Series, hitting .615 with three home runs and eight RBIs on his way to earning World Series MVP honors.
Before Matsui, the Yankeesâ first Japanese player was more infamous. Pitcher Hideki Irabu, acquired from the Chiba Lotte Marines in 1997 amid heavy fanfare, was dubbed âThe Japanese Nolan Ryanâ at the time, but his tenure was marked by inconsistency. Though he showed flashes of dominance, his struggles and clashes with manager Joe Torre kept him from reaching his full potential.
More recently, pitcher Masahiro Tanaka joined the list. Signing in 2014 after starring for the Rakuten Golden Eagles, Tanaka brought a devastating splitter and immediate stability to the Yankeesâ rotation. Across seven seasons, he became one of the most reliable arms of the era, making two All-Star teams and posting a stellar playoff résumé.
The Yankees may not have the most prolific Japan-USA pipeline, but they have had some of the best successes in the majors. Failures and all, the late Irabu paved the way despite his struggles, and Tanaka gave the modern Yankees a dependable ace. The Yankees have the spending power, the name recognition, and the (assumed) endorsement of Japanese icons like Matsui to work in their favor.
If Ishigaki is a legitimate prospect, their interest in him makes perfect sense. And if he is not a legitimate prospect, someone needs to tell the whole of the Major Leagues, because every team thinks otherwise.
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