Today: FA Prospect Hitoki Iwase
Hitoki Iwase is a left-handed relief specialist from Nishio, Aichi, Japan. One of the best lefthanders in Japanese baseball, Iwase was drafted 2nd overall by the Chunichi Dragons in 1999, and has been a key part of the team ever since.
Despite being a lefty, Iwase has been a dominant closer for the Dragons. In 2005, he set the single-season saves record in Japan with 46, breaking Kaz Sasaki's old mark, and the following year he added another 40 saves, along with a glowing 1.30 ERA and a WHIP under 1.00. He held opposing batters to a paltry .136 average.
He played on the bronze medal winning Japanese Olympic baseball team in the 2004 Summer Olympics. He has been invited to return to the Olympics in 2008, and is expected to accept.
Iwase works with a darting low 90's fastball that has great movement, while mixing in a hard slider in the mid 80's that is especially devastating against left-handed batters.
While he could have declared his free agency and moved to the USA after the 2008 season, Iwase chose to remain in Japan one year longer. He is still expected to pursue a career in the US Major Leagues in 2009. The New York Yankees are thought to be among his suitors.
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