Today: FA Prospect Yu Darvish
Yu Darvish is the hottest starting pitcher in Japan today, on at least two different levels. The son of a Japanese mother and Iranian father, Yu's rock-star good looks have made him a cultural idol in Japan at only 21 years of age.
A gangly pitcher, very tall (6-5) for a Japanese player, Darvish is the unquestioned ace of the Nippon Ham Fighters, and his face adorns advertisements, not to mention teenage girls' bedroom walls, all over Tokyo.
After explorations into the sports worlds of motocross and soccer, Darvish settled on baseball, and Japan has been blessed ever since. A graduate of Tohoku High School, which produced both Kazuhiro Sasaki and Takashi Saito, he found his first showcase in the Koshien High school Baseball Championships, appearing four consecutive seasons and throwing a no-hitter at the age of 17.
Both the Los Angeles Angels and the Atlanta Braves tried to sign Darvish out of high school, but he decided to stay home in Japan, signing with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters who drafted him with the first overall pick in 2004. He joined the professional team almost immediately, and made his first pro start at the age of 18. In his first pro start Darvish threw 8 shutout innings before giving up a pair of solo home runs in the 9th, but he still recorded the win.
Darvish showed quick development, improving in all categories as he matured. Just two years after his debut, Darvish led the Fighters to their first Japan League Championship in 45 years with a 4-1 victory in the fifth and deciding game.
| Yr | Tm | Age | Level | W | L | ERA | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | K/9 | WHIP |
| 2005 | Nippon HF | 18 | Japan | 5 | 5 | 3.53 | 14 | 12 | 94.1 | 97 | 37 | 37 | 7 | 48 | 52 | 4.96 | 1.54 |
| 2006 | Nippon HF | 19 | Japan | 12 | 5 | 2.89 | 25 | 21 | 149.2 | 128 | 55 | 48 | 12 | 64 | 115 | 6.92 | 1.28 |
| 2007 | Nippon HF | 20 | Japan | 15 | 5 | 1.82 | 26 | 26 | 207.2 | 123 | 48 | 42 | 9 | 49 | 210 | 9.10 | 0.83 |
He won the Sawamura Award for 2007 as Japan's best overall pitcher, posting a 1.82 ERA over 207 innings (26 starts, including 12 complete games) with 210 strikeouts. Opponents hit only .170 against Darvish.
Darvish works with the low-90s fastball (92-94 mph) typical of Japanese starters, but his size and delivery give it a late downward action that frustrates hitters. His knuckle-curve is a plus plus pitch, and he also throws a traditional slider and circle change that are very advanced for his young age.
Darvish can't be a free agent for many more years, but with a possible $75M (US) bonus, the Nippon Ham Fighters are known to be considering posting Darvish to the Major Leagues as early as 2009. If he signs in the US, he is expected to set a new contract record for foreign-born players.
While he's sent mixed messages to the media on his interest in US baseball, he's definitely hit the performance ceiling in his current league, leaving him nowhere else to go.
Darvish is is expected to be the number one starter for the Japanese national baseball team in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
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