John Tagamuchi, Tokyo Daily Times
November 5, 2013

This is the first of a three-part series documenting players who have improved during the 2013 season.  This installment covers batters.

Naha Shisa All-Star right fielder Razan Sanu had an incredible 2013.  He saw bumps in his AVG (.342), OBP (.391), SLG (.538), and OPS (.929).  Compare to a .752 OPS in 2012.  Not only did he do well with the bat, but he stole 40 bases, getting caught only 7 times.  He scored 24 more runs in 2013 than in 2012.  Sanu made quite a contribution to the team’s efforts.  At only 27, his career high stats this season should be a sign of more great things to come.

Kure Arsenal right fielder Tomiji Watanabe has increased his performance three years running.  Those happen to be the first three seasons for the 26-year-old.  He broke onto the scene with an .820 OPS in 2011, followed by a .940 OPS in 2012, and now a remarkable .988 OPS in 2013.  He batted .320 AVG with a .392 OBP and .596 SLG in 2013.  This guy can just plain hit.  With numbers like this, it would be surprising if Watanabe continued to improve into 2014.  But he’s a player to watch – he may just surprise you.

Edo Battousai veteran Manabu Ogura had quite a season.  It is rather unusual to see improvements in performance at 35.  Most players at that ripe old age are declining, but Ogura contributed big time last season, driving in 76 runs with 159 hits.  He is another who had career highs in all major batting categories – AVG (.315), OBP (.388), SLG (.444), and OPS (.833) were all areas of improvement.  Compare to a career .716 OPS.  He definitely helped his team make it into the Neo-Tokyo Cup.  With $6,421,000 remaining on his contract for next season, Edo would be pleased to see this veteran perform similarly in 2014.

Fushigi Yugi Celestial Warriors catcher Salvador “The Gambler” Medrano had an outstanding offensive year.  His batting statistics are all the more pronounced amongst fellow catchers.  The Gambler’s .328 AVG and .425 OPB were up noticeably over his 2012 numbers.  His SLG of .504 dropped just a point, but that didn’t keep his OPS from increasing to .929, up from a career average of .865.  This was a banner season for the 27-year-old.  He improved to All-Star status in 2013, adding to an already impressive track record.  He threw out 31.9% of base thieves, illustrating his abilities behind the plate.  He even played a handful of games at first and third base.  The Gambler should keep the attention of the Celestial Warrior fans for some time to come.

Kure center fielder Katsumi Hayagawa is earning a name for himself.  The 23-year-old fulfilled his expectations in 2013.  He posted a .364 OBP, .470 SLG, and .834 OPS.  Compare that to a .653 OPS in his first big league season.  People in the know expect this youngster to continue to improve.  Watch for Hayagawa in the future – he may be around for a long time.

Shin Seiki Evas second baseman Ton Matsumoto put up excellent numbers for an infielder.  His .337 AVG, .391 OPB, 431 SLG, and .822 OPS would catch anyone’s eye.  Compare that to a .757 career OPS.  He even played 39 games at shortstop, displaying versatility.  At 27, this was Matsumoto’s first full season.  It appears he has earned a starting role into the future.

Despite being out for several months, Fushigi Yugi second baseman Tokimasa Harada put in an excellent performance.  He improved in AVG (.351), OBP (.459), SLG (.559) and OPS (1.018).  These were all career highs, exceeding a career high-type season in 2012.  He even hit a personal best 12 HR in only 313 at bats.  Compare to career averages of .279 AVG, .368 OBP, .407 SLG, and .775 OPS.  Obviously, Harada figured out something.  If he can remain healthy, he should make a big impact in 2014.

Edo’s Bing-zhang “Wheels” Chien had the highest batting average (.380) of anyone with more than 100 at bats.  Compare that to a career AVG of .267.  Unfortunately, he was out for four months with a fractured ankle.  This 24-year-old winner of the 2012 BBG Shinjinshou has a promising career ahead of him.  His performance in 2013 simply reaffirmed that he is the genuine article and has what it takes to be a big-time player.  One must wonder whether the injury has affected his “Wheels”, however.  He had only 10 stolen base attempts in 2013 as opposed to 39 in 2012.

Another Naha player who has improved is first baseman Kichibei Kumagai.  2013 was the third season in the majors for this 25-year-old youngster.  He had a .296 AVG, .347 OBP, .549 SLG, and .897 OPS in 2013.  That follows a .714 OPS in 2012 and .594 OPS in 2011.  Looking at his progression of stats, it seems that Kumagai is simply improving each season as he becomes more familiar with his surroundings.  The question is, “How high will he go?”  He saw improvements in all the major batting categories, though he only had 284 at bats in 98 games.  Perhaps he should have earned more play time.  If Kumagai can stretch his statistics out over a full season’s worth of at bats, he should be an impact player.

Shin Seiki center fielder Shinsui Hoshino showed noticeable improvement.  This 26-year-old has been keeping afloat in the LRS with so-so numbers, but 2013 was a breakout year for him.  He had a .270 AVG, .322 OBP, .539 SLG, and .862 OPS.  Compare that to a .695 OPS in 2012 and .763 career OPS.  He hit 22 home runs in only 304 at bats.  Hoshino has earned full-time status in the outfield with his performance this past season.

Kuwana Steel Dragons second baseman Jun’ichi Kawamura had an injury-plagued 2013, but in between down time, he battled like a champion on the field.  He had career high marks in AVG (.319), OBP (.421) and OPS (.858).  Compare that to a career .750 OPS.  Injuries kept him sidelined for much of 2012, as well.  It is difficult for an aging 32-year-old to overcome injuries.  He has only a $573,400 remaining on his contract for 2014.  If it’s possible for Kawamura to be healthy enough to take some at bats, he can be quite a valuable performer.

Naha second baseman Shunsen Kakuta had a fabulous 2013.  This 30-year-old put on a performance the likes of which we haven’t seen since 2008.  He hit for a .322 AVG, with a .390 OBP and .475 SLG (.865 OPS).  Compare that to a .744 career OPS.  Unfortunately, injuries took a toll on his availability; he accumulated only 379 at bats in 2013.  The uncertainty regarding his ability to remain healthy looms over Shunsen as it does many others on this list.  It is one thing to put a good numbers in a shortened season; performing at these levels over an entire season is something all together different.

Shin Seiki 30-year-old third baseman Akira Sakurai put up good numbers.  He had a .320 AVG, .379 OBP, and .500 SLG.  Compare that to a .286 AVG and .798 OPS in 2012.  The batting average was a career high.  Sakurai suffered several injuries but nothing substantial that kept him out for long periods of time.  He played at second base and shortstop as well as third, so it’s obvious he has decent utility value.  If Sakurai plays anything like he did in 2013, his $2,200,000 2014 salary will be well justified.

Lupin Cliff Hangers first baseman Carlos Rocha had a noteworthy season.  Though not ranked as a top first baseman, he earned recognition as above average.  Rocha’s .296 AVG, .369 OBP, .505 SLG, and .874 OPS were all career highs, following 2012 bests of .266 AVG, 3.49 OBP and .781 OPS.  Compare those numbers to .544, .625, and .342 OPS marks in 2007, 2010, and 2011.  His experience is apparently paying off for him.  At 30, Rocha still has time to impress over the next several years.

Kuwana second baseman Saikaku Sato hit respectably for an infielder.  He fielded at shortstop, third base, first base and right field as well as second.  His numbers were a remarkable improvement over his career stats.  He saw his highest number of at bats (515).  His .317 AVG was something to be proud of and his .410 SLG certainly helped his case.  His .781 2013 SLG is much higher than his career .698 figure.  At 29, Sato is quite valuable for Kuwana at just over league minimum salary.

Naha shortstop Hogai Kito performed well offensively.  Despite an outstanding rookie season in 2007 and a good follow-up in 2008, his offensive statistics dropped off to mediocre for the next few seasons.  31 this year, he put up good numbers, reclaiming some of his prior glory.  He had a .276 AVG .332 OBP, and .432 SLG.  His 2013 .763 OPS compares favorably to a .711 career mark.  Those are not great numbers but more than adequate for a shortstop.  He still has above average defensive ability, increasing his value.

Fushigi Yugi right fielder Yasuyuki Yokoyama finally put in a decent performance in 2013.  Yasuyuki was horrible in 2010, not so great in 2011, and did not earn any play time in 2012.  He bounced between four clubs during those seasons, even up to the PEBA (though he earned just 4 AB there).  Fushigi Yugi gave him an opportunity in 2013 and he made it worth their salt.  He had a .361 OBP and .818 OPS.  Compare that to a .770 career OPS.  He did spend significant time on the DL.  Here is a player that C-Warriors fans will be watching closely in 2014, with hopes of a performance similar to last season’s.

Though Shin Seiki’s Tadakuni Samurakami’s performance was not outstanding, it was certainly respectable for a catcher.  He had a .335 OBP and .411 SLG (.746 OPS).  This is in comparison to a career .705 OPS.  He’s had several less than full seasons since his debut in 2009.  If Samurakami is able to continue this performance, he’ll be called upon as a regular.

Kure second baseman Naizen “The Shark” Shimizu has increased his value in each of his first three seasons.  The 22-year-old has plenty of room to continue improving.  He had a .649 OPS in 2011, .followed by a .662 OPS in 2012.  In 2013, he had a .255 AVG, .322 OBP, .417 SLG, and .739 OPS.  Those aren’t top-level numbers, but they are certainly good enough for a 22-year-old.  He hit 18 home runs and experts project that he will hit for even more power as he matures.  Only time will tell if this youngster will become a superstar.

Hyakujuu Shinkansen 27-year-old center fielder Nobuhito Sugiyama made significant improvement.  Though his numbers are not consistent with the top-tier players, at 27, he has time to continue developing into a solid player.  His .282 AVG was decent for a center fielder.  It compares rather favorably to a .251 career AVG.  If he can draw a few more walks (29 in ‘13) and strike out a little less (90 in ‘13), Sugiyama can make meaningful contributions to his team.