Taiwanese Prospects Taking the Minor League Route
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Re: Taiwanese Prospects Taking the Minor League Route
[ Author: Jbroks86 | Posted: Jun 20, 2007 11:20 AM
| SFT Fan
]
It could happen down the road if youngsters see the corruption and low pay in CPBL uninspiring. Many Major League teams are beginning to expand into Taiwan, and less and less players are being signed out of Korea by Major League teams.
- Do players in Japan feel obligated to play in the NPB? I can't recall a blue chip prospect, a guy who can throw 95 mph or higher (like Wang, Kuo, and Tsao) turning down the Japanese leagues and signing with a Major League organization.
I remember mentioning this in another topic here, that many Japanese youngsters feel an obligation to play in Japan. Furthermore, do small cities in the U.S. seem as attractive to players like Sho Nakata, where they're thousands of miles from home, in an unfamiliar situation, the big language barrier, and most importantly, are away from friends. Compare this to how many top youngsters can be stars right away in NPB (like Rakuten's Tanaka).
- Do players in Japan feel obligated to play in the NPB? I can't recall a blue chip prospect, a guy who can throw 95 mph or higher (like Wang, Kuo, and Tsao) turning down the Japanese leagues and signing with a Major League organization.
I remember mentioning this in another topic here, that many Japanese youngsters feel an obligation to play in Japan. Furthermore, do small cities in the U.S. seem as attractive to players like Sho Nakata, where they're thousands of miles from home, in an unfamiliar situation, the big language barrier, and most importantly, are away from friends. Compare this to how many top youngsters can be stars right away in NPB (like Rakuten's Tanaka).
Re: Taiwanese Prospects Taking the Minor League Route
[ Author: mondejoe | Posted: Jun 21, 2007 7:15 AM
| YOK Fan
]
I live in Vancouver during the summer and get to catch Single-A baseball games. Sure enough, Colorado Rockies' 21 year old pitching prospect, Sheng-an Kuo, was making his first Minor League start for the Tri-City Dust Devils. He gave up 3 runs in 5 innings but got a win in a 10-4 decision over the Vancouver Canadians.
Kuo has good stuff - low 90s fastball, changeup and curveball. In his first start he struggled a bit from the stretch but I was impressed by his ability to get breaking balls over for a strike at such a young age.
The 6'2, 190 lb., right hander was given a $150-200,000 signing bonus. Major League teams feel these guys are cheaper than high draft picks and worth the risk.
As for the culture/language barrier, it depends on where the players end up. Vancouver, for example, has a huge Asian population (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese).
Kuo has good stuff - low 90s fastball, changeup and curveball. In his first start he struggled a bit from the stretch but I was impressed by his ability to get breaking balls over for a strike at such a young age.
The 6'2, 190 lb., right hander was given a $150-200,000 signing bonus. Major League teams feel these guys are cheaper than high draft picks and worth the risk.
As for the culture/language barrier, it depends on where the players end up. Vancouver, for example, has a huge Asian population (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese).
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I see a lot of Major League Baseball teams signing players out of Taiwan because the CPBL is not an option for many and the money is not comparable to Japan.
Off the top of my head I can count 17 players from Taiwan in the Minor League system. I can only think of three Japanese prospects in the minors, not including Yusaku Iriki. Many players in Japan choose to play in the NPB, and when they're posted they're 27 years old. It would be interesting to see the route Yuki Saitoh takes.
Do players in Japan feel obligated to play in the NPB? I can't recall a blue chip prospect, a guy who can throw 95 mph or higher (like Wang, Kuo, and Tsao) turning down the Japanese leagues and signing with a Major League organization.