Every year, a breakout player emerges from each team.
While some players join the team that year and immediately make an impact in the first team, most spend time in the second team, gaining experience and achieving results before moving up to the first team.
This time, I'd like to examine the performance of players in the minor leagues and predict which players might perform well next year.
A review and reflection on "Predictions for the Chunichi Dragons' key players in 2018"
Shota Tomonaga (Right-handed thrower, left-handed thrower, outfielder, 26 years old, 3rd year as a professional)
His performance in the minor leagues was decent, with a batting average of .269 and 11 stolen bases in 106 games.
While his 83 strikeouts are a bit on the high side, the fact that he's been given so many at-bats shows the team's high expectations of him.
He's a similar type of player to Iryo, who joined the team in the same year, and I hope one of them can establish themselves in the first team.
If Oshima is set to be the undisputed center, then the remaining positions are left and right field.
His rivals on the first team include talented players like Hirata, Matsui Yu, and Fujii.
If Manager Mori emphasizes "running baseball," then this player fits that style perfectly.
His on-base percentage is .350, which is about 8 points higher than his batting average, so I think his plate discipline isn't bad.
Because he strikes out a lot, if he can master the technique of cutting the ball, he has a good chance of breaking out like Akahoshi.
Next year will be his fourth year as a professional, and at 27 years old, he's at an age where it wouldn't be surprising if he secured a regular spot on the first team.
Next year, I think I'll be able to extend my time on the first-team roster and aim to be used as a pinch hitter or pinch runner.
Masataka Iryo (Right-handed/Left-handed, Outfielder, 28 years old, 3rd year as a pro)
His minor league stats were .262 in 82 games, which is a bit disappointing.
He only has one stolen base, so it feels like he's a step ahead of his rival, Tomonaga.
However, when you watch him at bat during games, he has a good swing and only hits good pitches.
If he can learn to capitalize on easy pitches on the first pitch, I think he could be a surprisingly interesting pinch-hitter.
Hiroki Kondo (Right-handed hitter, outfielder, 24 years old, 3rd year as a professional)
His minor league stats show a batting average of .279 and 4 home runs in 67 games, demonstrating his impressive power hitting ability.
He was hitting well in the first team this year, but gradually his performance declined.
In terms of playing style, he'd like to leverage his hitting ability and aim for a position in left or right field.
I think the biggest reason why he's hitting reasonably well in the minor leagues but falters in the major leagues is his inability to handle off-speed pitches.
He's currently trailing players like Endo and Matsui, but he's still young, so I have high hopes for his potential to improve.
Shun Ishikawa (Right-handed batter, infielder, 27 years old, 3rd year as a professional)
In 82 games in the minor leagues, he has a batting average of .269 and 4 home runs, making him an infielder whose appeal lies in his power hitting.
The appeal is that he can play first, second, and third base, but the competition is fierce at every position, so it looks like it will be quite difficult.
Fukuda has a better track record at first and third base, including his batting, and we also have Viciedo.
Even if he's not as good as Kamezawa and Araki at second base in fielding and base running, if he can beat Takahashi Shuhei at bat, that might be the most realistic option.
A second baseman with power hitting ability is a valuable asset, so along with Shu Takahashi, he's an interesting player to have on both the left and right sides of the field.
Takuma Achira (Right-handed pitcher, 24 years old, 4th year as a professional)
In the minor leagues, he pitched 111.1 innings with an ERA of 2.10 and a record of 9 wins and 3 losses, which are impressive numbers.
Given the Dragons' lack of right-handed starting pitchers, his track record is certainly sufficient to make a significant impact next year.
His ability to consistently deliver stable pitching performances is appealing, but that's only true in the minor leagues.
If he doesn't develop a weapon that allows him to effectively shut down first-team hitters from now on, he might end up remaining a second-tier player.
In terms of pitch distribution, it's 48.211 TP3T for fastballs, 26.791 TP3T for sliders, 16.961 TP3T for curveballs, and 8.041 TP3T for forkballs (from "Enjoying Professional Baseball with Data").
His fastball velocity is in the mid-140s km/h, so it seems unlikely he'll be able to overpower batters with sheer strength.
I think that by improving the accuracy of his curveball or forkball, he'll be able to compete in the major leagues.
Yasushi Maruyama (Right-handed pitcher, 22 years old, 1st year as a professional)
He pitched 46.1 innings in the minor leagues, with an earned run average of 3.30.
He's a pitcher similar to Sobue, with 60% of his pitches being fastballs and the rest being sliders.
His ability to consistently throw fastballs at nearly 150 km/h is a huge asset, so I think he could do well as a relief pitcher or one-point specialist in the first team.
However, if he wants to be successful, including as a starter, he'd really like to have one more breaking ball, such as a changeup or curveball.
He's still young, in his first year as a professional, so he has plenty of room to grow.
Having a fastball speed of nearly 150 km/h makes him an attractive prospect for the Dragons right now.
In conclusion
I wrote this with various expectations in mind.
Players like Endo and pitcher Kasahara have already started producing results in the first team, so I didn't include them here.
The Chunichi Dragons did not select any players who could contribute immediately in this year's draft.
This means that, compared to these players who were drafted in the past as immediate contributors, he has a different number of years in professional baseball, and should have some advantage.
As a fan, I would be happy if he could make it to the first team so that he doesn't get overtaken by this year's rookies.
A review and reflection on "Predictions for the Chunichi Dragons' key players in 2018"