The Hanshin Tigers announced their top squad members today in preparation for the start of the 2018 season, which starts tomorrow against the Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome (March 30, 6:00 pm JST). Here is the list, as well as some comments from yours truly:
Catchers
#12 Seishiro Sakamoto: Of the three catchers, he’s got the best balance of offense, defense and game calling. But really, that’s not saying much, because…
#44 Ryutaro Umeno: … there’s not much offense going on here, and there hasn’t been since 2014. Also…
#94 Fumihito Haraguchi: … there’s not much defensive talent or game-calling prowess here, though the bat has, for the most part, played well since he broke on the scene at the start of 2016.
Infielders
#00 Hiroki Uemoto: He’s got speed, decent defensive range, but otherwise poor defense. He’s tenacious at the plate, and has decent pop, too. But he’ll likely be a back-up at second base all year, because…
#1 Takashi Toritani: … there’s an ironman streak that needs to be extended at all cost. And cost the team, it will. While arm strength and consistency are there, the range isn’t. And his 36-year old body has logged too many miles in the middle of the infield to still be an asset there.
#3 Yusuke Ohyama: The face of the future, in the eyes of many (or at least the manager). Toritani was exiled from the hot corner to make room for this guy, but I can’t help but wonder… who takes his place if injury or sophomore jinx take effect?
#5 Tsuyoshi Nishioka: Everyone talks about how he is such a crucial part of this team, but his 161 games played over the past 4 years (back, knee, elbow, ribs, achilles, every other body part) don’t convince me that the team can’t live without him. He’s a pinch hitter at best. *MAYBE* a pinch runner if all other options have been expended.
#20 Wilin Rosario: High hopes rest on this man’s shoulders. Will we see the Rosario that dominated KBO the past two seasons, or Rosario who struggled to make solid contact for most of March?
#32 Noriharu Yamazaki: Known for his defense, he actually posted a solid pre-season average, and seems to be capable of filling a variety of roles. For the time being, though, starter is not one of them.
#33 Kento Itohara: Everyone’s talking about this kid’s bat. He was the only rookie to be on the top squad on Opening Day last year, and this year he looks to be the second youngest starter. I worry about his range at short, but I also believe he has what it takes to be a star.
#62 Kai Ueda: Legs, legs, legs. Yes, he plays short and is a solid defender. But for now, I’d be surprised if he did anything but pinch run and swipe bases. The bat needs work, and he needs to slowly gain experience in the field before he’s a trustworthy defensive replacement.
Outfielders
#7 Yoshio Itoi: Tied for the highest price tag on the team (along with Toritani), it’s time for Superman to prove to Hanshin fans that he was worth acquiring last offseason. He spent a chunk of 2017 injured. If he stays healthy, he could really tear up CL pitching now that he’s got a year of experience under his belt.
#8 Kosuke Fukudome: The team’s elder-statesman will need a break every now and again, but if he could put up 79 RBIs as a 40-year old, who am I to tell him he can’t do it as a 41-year old?
#9 Shun Takayama: The 2016 Rookie of the Year has had a solid spring, and looks to get a lot of starting time, especially while Masahiro Nakatani (20 HRs last year but farmed at present) figures out his swing again.
#51 Hayata Itoh: Finally, in 2017, delivered on some of the promise he showed when the team drafted him first overall in 2011. Still, fielding is atrocious and he will likely just be the first left-handed pinch hitter off the bench.
#53 Kairi Shimada: Picked in the 4th round of last year’s draft, he is the lone rookie to crack this squad on Opening Day. He’s got a ton of speed and could compete with Ueda for nods as pinch runner.
#68 Shunsuke: The forgotten one. He also broke out last season, collecting extra base hits like he never had before. He’s also our most solid defensive outfielder at present. He’ll definitely spell the old guys every now and then, and also be ready to replace Takayama should the need arise.
Pitchers
#19 Shintaro Fujinami: Will start Game 2 of the weekend series. It will go a long way towards determining if 2018 will look more like 2015 (good), 2016 (bad), or 2017 (ugly).
#22 Kyuji Fujikawa: He’s not what he used to be, but remember when people used to say, “If I were half as talented as Kyuji, I’d be a pro ball player”? Now we see what that really looks like.
#30 Tsuyoshi Ishizaki: He was drafted kind of old (24) and made his big break a few years later (27), so even though people think he’s just entering his prime, he will be 28 late this summer. Still, he could be an anchor in the bullpen for years.
#38 Marcos Mateo: Most Japanese comment about either (a) his flaming orange beard, or (b) his protruding Santa belly. I like his slider, personally. Yep, let’s stick to talking baseball, people!
#41 Akifumi Takahashi: He’s gotten lit up this month so far. Three homers against in four innings. “It’s just spring training, people. It doesn’t count.” I won’t believe this until I see it.
#46 Takumi Akiyama: He will start Game 3 of this series. Had a break-out season last year, and has the control to continue to dominate in 2018.
#54 Randy Messenger: Ladies and gentlemen, your Opening Day starter. Who else would you expect to see there? If this ninth-year Tiger can’t do it, no one can. Really.
#64 Kentaro Kuwahara: Hope teams still struggle against his “massura” (that’s combining “massugu” = fastball, with “suraida-” = slider… a kind of cutter not so different from what Mariano Rivera used to throw… or so they tell me.
#67 Suguru Iwazaki: I’m going on the line and saying he’s our best left-handed arm, starter or otherwise. Very deceptive hurler who (in my opinion) belongs back in the starting rotation. But he’ll settle for being a reliever for the time being.
#98 Rafael Dolis: Our closer has gone on record as saying he’s OK with pitching in each of the team’s first five games. That’s good to know, since he underwent elbow surgery in the 2016 offseason, and proceeded to throw 63 innings last season out of the pen in 2017. Don’t overdo it!
And here’s what I would *like* to see the starting lineup (and hitting order) to look like tomorrow, though I’m pretty sure it will not look like this, since Tomoaki Kanemoto rarely consults me on anything.
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Itoi (RF)
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Uemoto (2B)
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Itohara (SS)
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Rosario (1B)
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Fukudome (LF)
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Ohyama (3B)
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Takayama (CF)
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Umeno (C)
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Messenger (P)
Allow me to explain. First of all, we’ve got the zigzag going on – the hitters bat LRLRLRLRR. That makes bullpen decisions a bit tougher for the other team’s manager, for sure. Otherwise, no real advantage to that – just reminding myself that we all have a little Yutaka Wada in us.
Second, you have to give your best batters more at bats. Itoi has power, and so it’s tempting to have him hit in the heart of the order. But he also has a keen eye, a good on-base percentage, and the speed to throw off the other team’s pitcher a little if he can get on base. Uemoto can do the same in case Itoi doesn’t. I like the idea of seeing Itohara hitting higher in the order, and really setting the table up nicely for what’s next. Rosario and Fukudome are unmistakably cleanup hitters, and should drive in plenty of runs with those guys in front of them.
Ohyama and Takayama add some depth to the lower part of the order, and are both pretty good under pressure. Umeno and Messenger are pretty much a given down at the bottom… obviously the choice at catcher could be someone else, but we need a good defensive backstop. Umeno has become a strong team leader recently, too.
So why not Toritani in there? Well, I just don’t feel like he’s a go-to guy anymore. Where does he fit in this lineup? I suppose he could be there in place of Uemoto, but then we have three straight lefties at the top of the order. Also, he is a great pinch hit option late in games. With his ability to draw walks, he could put a ton of pressure on the other team’s bullpen when they need outs the most.
And there you have it. Your Opening Day top squad, plus my thoughts on how the batting order should look. How will the Tigers fare this weekend? You’ll have to tune in yourself! I’m ready for this 2018 season to begin… aren’t YOU?