This is a site about Pro Yakyu (Japanese Baseball), not about who the next player to go over to MLB is. It's a community of Pro Yakyu fans who have come together to share their knowledge and opinions with the world. It's a place to follow teams and individuals playing baseball in Japan (and Asia), and to learn about Japanese (and Asian) culture through baseball.
It is my sincere hope that once you learn a bit about what we're about here that you will join the community of contributors.
Michael Westbay
(aka westbaystars)
Founder
Yoshimi has been one of the brightest spots on the BayStars' pitching roster. After showing a great deal of control coming in in long relief when 'Star starters had trouble going three innings, he was moved to the starting rotation where he's performed well enough to live up to the number 22 on his back (formerly ace closer Kazuhiro Sasaki's number). Yoshimi has won 9 of Yokohama's 41 wins, almost 1/4th of the team's wins! He's also the only pitcher on the team that qualifies for a pitching title (* Daisuke Miura is listed on this page as of September 15, JST, but he has since gone under the minimum required innings as he's been out nursing his right elbow - should be back next week). Yoshimi has struck out 109 batters in 150 1/3rd innings while walking just 37 batters. Of his four complete games, Yoshimi didn't walk a single batter in three of them. What's more, while facing his rookie rival Ishikawa yesterday (Sept. 14), Yoshimi threw his first shutout.
Ishikawa, while getting the loss yesterday, reached 9 wins just a little ahead of Yoshimi and has struck out an impressive 146 batters in 145 innings while only walking 24. His ERA is 3.29, currently ranked 10th to Yoshimi's 13th ranked 3.41 ERA.
These two look to go neck and neck down to the end, either could get it.