NPB Tracker

So unsurprisingly, I’m getting questions this offseason about how guys like Tsuyoshi Wada, Hiroyuki Nakajima and Wei Yin Chen project as MLB prospects. Truth be told, trying project established guys from NPB to MLB always makes me a little nervous. I don’t feel like I’m that great at it, so I decided to go back […]

Alright, here we go. Multiple reports have Hanshin sending their international guy, Toshihiko Yamanaka, over to the US to gather information on Japanese major leaguers and new imports for next season. Sanspo and Nikkan Sports are speculating on a couple names that Hanshin could be after. I didn’t bother to write about this earlier in […]

Kenshin Kawakami had the first really good game of his MLB career, putting up a 0 R/3 H/7 K/0 BB line against Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays. Here’s a video clip of some highlights that someone ripped from MLB and put on YouTube: For more on Kawakami, check out these posts: Kenshin Kawakami Profile […]

Multiple sources have proclaimed that Kenshin Kawakami has signed with Atlanta. The Braves were my pick for him when free agency opened. Glad I got one right. I don’t have time to write at the moment, but I will chip in this new information that Sponichi thinks he got a 3-year, $24m deal. I haven’t […]

Word on the street is that Kenshin Kawakami is nearing a deal with the Braves.  For his part, Kenshin is staying quiet. Nikkan Sports has this comment from the pitcher: “Basically I can’t say anything. In the end it is me that will decide, but I don’t want to disrupt the people who are negotiating.” While we wait […]

When I see Kenshin Kawakami mentioned in an American blog or media report, it’s usually this context: The Sox also have interest in Kenshin Kawakami, a 33-year-old righty for the Chunichi Dragons who went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA last season. Kawakami is a Hiroki Kuroda-type pitcher with a cut fastball and good curveball who could man […]

Daily Sports is reporting that Kenshin Kawakami has hired American agent Tony Attanasio, with an eye toward MLB. Attanasio is notable in NPB circles for representing Ichiro.  Kawakami’s move to MLB has been something of a forgone conclusion, but it’s inching closer to becoming a reality. Chunichi sealed the deal for themselves by reportedly offering […]

Last Updated: March 17, 2009. This page is no longer being maintained. Please see the 2010 version. I’ve decided to take a cue from MLB Trade Rumors and make this free agent list a permanent page. Here you’ll find a list of all the Japanese-league players who are eligible after the 2008 season. Read on, […]

I’ve written a lot about the top three free agents coming out of NPB after this season, but there are several other lesser names that have been in the news as well. A thread on JapaneseBaseball.com listing a few has made the rounds to EastWindupChronicle and MLB Trade Rumors, and I’ve done some research and […]

If you’ve been reading this blog, you probably know that the top three Japanese free agents this year are pitchers Hitoki Iwase, Kenshin Kawakami, and Koji Uehara. I’ve profiled all three, now it’s time to rank ’em as MLB prospects. Safest Bet: Iwase: Standout NPB relievers have generally made successful transitions to MLB, and few […]