We’ve all seen the extreme amounts of money teams are willing to spend on Japanese prospects without even knowing they can measure up to the high level of talent present in Major League Baseball. Many players have made the successful transition from Japanese baseball but we’ve also witnessed some failures and a lot of wasted money along the way. Look at Daisuke Matsuzaka: the Red Sox invested over $100M in him and, seven years later, he is playing minor-league baseball on a $1M contract. Recently, the success of Yu Darvish has been a prime example of the advantageous possibilities that can emerge from the signing of a sought after prospect. No one will know until we see him in action at the start of April but the question is, will Masahiro Tanaka live up to the hype and prove that he is worth the $22 million per year the New York Yankees have agreed to pay him? Combining the $155 million he will receive through seven years and the posting fee of $20 million being paid to his former team, the Yankees have invested a total of $175 million all predicated on stats and awards he earned in Japan. In 2012, the Texas Rangers devoted nearly $108 million for Darvish between the posting fee and the $56 million he is promised through 2017. So far, Darvish has put forth two solid Major League seasons finishing 2nd in AL Cy Young award voting in 2013 and remaining much more consistent than we have seen with other Japanese pitchers.
We all know Darvish and Tanaka were extremely dominant during their Japanese careers, both finishing their final seasons before being posted with winning records and exceptionally low ERA’s. In 2011, before Darvish began his career with the Rangers, he went 18-7 with a 1.44 ERA and ended the season with 276 strikeouts in 236 innings all while averaging 8.5 innings per start. Tanaka’s closing season in Japan produced even more impressive results in 2013 when he went a remarkable 24-0 in the regular season with a 1.27 ERA earning him his second career Sawamura Award, given to the best pitcher in Japan. It’s no secret that both Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka stood out among their fellow Japanese players but it takes a lot more than statistical data to be a successful Major League pitcher. Darvish has proven himself worthy thus far and Tanaka’s previous dominance points toward a similar success. We will find out soon enough whether Tanaka can handle Major League hitters and remain consistent despite the overwhelming attention he will receive playing in New York.
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