The season is almost upon us! Manager Akihiro Yano sure has had his share to think about when it comes to the Opening Day roster, but his days of worrying about who to play, promote and demote have only just begun! Based on what I have observed on the field and in various articles, this is what the Opening Day roster could look like:
Keep in mind that the bottom half of the rotation will probably not be on the roster until after the weekend, which will give Yano extra wiggle room with the bullpen and fielders for a few days. Also, Mel Rojas Jr and Raul Alcantara are still not in Japan, and will require at least two weeks of quarantining plus some conditioning before they are ready to make a push for playing time.
As for the farm, well, your guess is (almost) as good as mine. But again, based on the first few games of their regular season, plus a few of my selfish wishes, this is what the team could look like down there.
Keep in mind, there is not enough space in the pitcher spots for me to include every single name. There are others who will vie for playing time, but so far, I believe these guys (plus 19-year old LHP Masaki Oyokawa) will get the bulk of the playing time.
Alright, just a couple more sleeps until we are glued to our screens watching the boys of summer! Go Tigers!
When does the regular season start for the Tigers/NPB? I can’t tell by the schedule where Spring Training starts/ends heh.
March 26!