Ryosuke Kikuchi, the star of the Japanese Professional Baseball League (NPB) Hiroshima Toyo Carp and the main second baseman of the Japanese national team, announced his challenge to mlb after the end of this season, and officially submitted his registration on December 3. According to the current rules of entry between Japan and the United States, Kikuchi can negotiate directly with all MLB teams before 6:00 a.m. Beijing time on January 2.
Kikuchi represented the Japanese national team in the Round of 12 this year and won the championship
However, just today (December 27), Kikuchi announced at the Mazda Stadium in Hiroshima, home of carp, that he would stay with the team next season. At the press conference, he said: "The time for entering the negotiations window is running out, and today after a consensus, I decided to stay in Carp and sign a multi-year contract. ”
Kikuchi was not well known during the Koshien period, and was selected by the second round of carp in 2011 at Nakagyo Gakuin University. He only made his debut in the NPB in 2012 at the age of 22 and hit 371/.315/.391 in eight seasons of his career, with 85 home runs and 379 RBIs. He played in 138 games in the NPB this season, handing over .261/.313/.406 hits, 36 second-run runs, 13 home runs, and 48 RBIs.
Kikuchi has won the Golden Glove Award seven times in a row in Japan
Kikuchi is known for his guard and has won the NBP's Golden Glove Award for seven consecutive years. In the recent baseball Round of 12, he won the championship as a member of the Japanese national team and was also selected for the best nine-man team. He was also a major member of the Japanese team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, and what was particularly amazing was that he hit a counter-direction home run against the United States in the semi-finals at Dodge Stadium.
Kikuchi thought about challenging Major League last year, and this year Carp finally agreed to his request. Some time ago, he personally went to the United States and also stopped by to visit Kenta Maeda, the carp's predecessor and a starting pitcher who currently plays for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Maeda was Kikuchi's predecessor in carp
This year, however, the Major Leagues have a number of free second basemen, including Jonathan Schoop, César Hernández, Jason Kipnis, Brian Dozier, Wilmer Flores and Starlin Castro) and Ben Zobrist, among others. Kikuchi is known for his defensive skills, and Japanese players who are not outstanding in the blow are not popular in the United States.
Several Japanese wildsters announced their signing for major leagues this offseason, with Yokohama Bay Star's main gun Kōka to sign for the Tampa Bay Rays for 2 years and 12 million, Yomiuri Giants starting pitcher Toshi Yamaguchi joining the Toronto Blue Jays for 2 years and 6 million, and Saitama Seibu Lions outfielder Shogo Akiyama.
Tsutsukayo Kikuchi
Kikuchi, as Japan's top second baseman, is a pity to give up on MLB in his current year. However, in previous years, the Japanese wildster who can succeed in the United States is rare, and with the striking strength he has shown in Japan, it is difficult to have a decent data against a major league-level pitcher. Kikuchi's defensive ability is excellent, but if the MLB team believes that it is not enough to make up for his shortcomings in attack, then his survival prospects are indeed not optimistic, and staying in Japan is a wise choice.
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