Yoshino Miyata (or simply Yoshino as he’s known in Japan) was one of Nippon Professional Baseball’s biggest stars before that league folded last year. Yoshino began his professional career at the tender age of 16 with the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Eastern League (one of two Japanese minor leagues, both of which folded at the same time as NPB). Since that time he’s only hit below .305 for a season once: a .296 mark in 1999, his second (and last) year in the Eastern League. Yoshino immediately became a fan favorite upon graduating to the big league Ham Fighters of the Pacific League the following year. He quickly gained a reputation for an almost preternatural ability to put the ball into play: Yoshino has averaged an incredible ratio of one strikeout per 36 ABs over his 9 year professional career.
With both US and Japanese baseball currently in a state of flux, many of Japan’s brightest stars faced a choice: stay at home and join Japan’s fledgling professional league (the League of the Rising Sun) or cross the Pacific in search of greater fortune. Like a number of his countrymen, Yoshino decided to pass on the LRS and instead entered his name into PEBA’s inaugural draft pool, where he instantly became one of the most coveted talents available.
There was some debate over exactly how high Yoshino would be selected. Success in Japanese baseball has not always translated to success in America, and Yoshino doesn’t hit for the kind of power many clubs are looking for at the top of the draft. The most successful Japanese transplants have always been those that put the ball in play, and no one does that better than Yoshino. Clearly the Duluth Warriors had no concerns about how Yoshino’s bat would play in the States, selecting him with the first ever pick in PEBA’s history.
Still just 25 years old, Yoshino packs nine years of professional experience yet still has room to grow. The Warriors have to hope he won’t be doing too much more growing, however: several scouts noted that Yoshino’s weight has increased visibly since arriving in the US a couple months ago. Perhaps this is the result of early celebrations over the large contract sure to be headed his way. Yoshino was a competent base stealer in Japan; it remains to be seen whether the extra weight will change that or affect his range in center field. The Warriors will have three months to make sure their prized import is in prime shape for PEBA’s Inaugural Opening Day.