It is no secret the Los Angeles Dodgers have been able to attract Japanese stars recently.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto chose the Dodgers over the New York Mets last year, when both teams offered him $325 million.
More recently, Roki Sasaki also chose the Dodgers despite the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly offering more money.
Due to his age, Sasaki, 23, was limited to teams’ international pool money.
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New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of Game 1 of the NL Championship Series Oct. 13, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
And Shohei Ohtani decided to stay in Los Angeles and sign with the Dodgers before the 2024 campaign.
Japanese stars have joined other teams in recent years, but Yamamoto and Sasaki are undoubtedly the top pitching prospects other than Ohtani since Masahiro Tanaka arrived in 2014 with the Yankees.
Ahead of the 2023 season, Kodai landed a five-year, $90 million contract with the New York Mets, and he’s slated to be at the top of their rotation this season after missing the majority of last season.
As he reported to spring training Tuesday, Senga was asked how the Mets could land more Japanese stars, and he was brutally honest.
“Of course, I would love to have some more on the Mets, but the climate’s nice there, and I think that definitely plays a part,” Senga said.
New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga reacts to some difficulty with a PitchCom device during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers June 28, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
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“We need to build a roof.”
Mets owner Steve Cohen has teased a roof before, once noting it would cost roughly $800 million to build. But, last year, he said that “ship has sailed” because it’s “too expensive.”
There figure to be more Japanese stars arriving in the U.S. soon. Lefty slugger Munetaka Murakami, who hit 56 homers in 2022 and has a .938 career OPS overseas, is expected to join the major leagues next year.
It should also be noted that the Blue Jays have a roof, so the weather clearly wasn’t everything for Sasaki.
Kodai Senga of the New York Mets pitches during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field July 26, 2024, in New York City. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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There are 15 Japanese-born players on major league rosters, and the most recent to make his MLB debut was Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga.
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