9/21/2014: Machida, Tokyo, Japan – Yesterday, we examined Nichibutsu Crestas pitchers. Today, we finish our evaluation of Fushigi Yugi’s AAA team with a look at the batters…

Munemori Okubo – Munemori stayed with the organization only because he is a fan favorite. He appeared in two games and had just one plate appearance. Munemori now is in the LRS. Despite being well liked, his role will be determined by the work he puts in.

Naruhiko Suzuki – Naruhiko was sent down to the Crestas for a week due to the C-Warriors needing a roster spot for someone else. While on the team, he got into two games and had two plate appearances. If he asks for more money next year, the team will fill the roster’s 25^th spot on the cheap.

Ryunosuke Nishi – Ryunosuke was sent to the Crestas in a waiver wire spot game. He appeared in three games and had six plate appearances. Ryunosuke then was recalled to the C-Warriors and stayed the rest of the year. Ryunosuke’s future with the organization is likely ending at the end of this season. He has disappointed more often than not. The team might have one of their young prospects take his place next year and save some cash.

Akio Kouno – Signed to be the backup for the Ninjas, Akio impressed enough to be called up to AAA late in the year. Akio appeared in six games and hit .385, so the team decided to add him to the 35-man roster and call him up to serve as backup in the majors. If Akio can show enough in the final weeks, he will be the C-Warriors’ backup next year. If not, it is highly likely he will be the backup again for the Crestas, as the Ninjas are lacking in catching prospects.

Taikan Koumura – Taikan started the year with the Ninjas but was lost on the bench and only appeared in nine games. Management decided that they wanted him to move up and become a backup for the Crestas. Taikan didn’t do much in the 20 games he appeared in with the Crestas, but with his ability to play defense and the C-Warriors trying to save money next year, he might get a chance to be the 25^th man, especially if he can improve his hitting a tad.

Yoshihiro Sato – Yoshihiro signed a minor league deal after a disastrous 2013 with Palm Springs in hopes that he would soon be back in the LRS, a place he enjoyed from 2007-12. While with the Crestas, Yoshihiro was used as a backup, and he impressed the staff in that role. In 23 games, his line was .308/.500/.385. Add in his impressive work ethic and his June call-up was well deserved. Yoshihiro never looked back after his promotion. He has done everything needed and asked of him, but this looks to be Yoshihiro’s last season with the team; he will be a free agent and surely will be looking for a raise.

Tsurayuki Murakami – Tsurayuki was given a chance to make the C-Warriors out of spring training as their backup, but failed. When he was sent to the Crestas, he didn’t do anything to show that he deserved to be in the majors. He did so poorly that he was sent to the Ninjas, where he is currently batting .083. Tsurayuki will be on the team until the draft, but expect the team to draft a catcher to replace him.

José Marin – José was signed out of Costa Rica this off-season. At 26, he is a little old for a prospect, but the organization took a shot on him and aggressively placed him in AAA. José was used sparingly due to the team’s vast amount of OF. In May, José was asked to step in for a few games and showed that he had talent. After May, José didn’t get many chances to showcase his talent. The team still has good hopes for José. He will definitely be with the Crestas next season.

Naohiro Kumatani – Naohiro was a key piece to the 2013 Crestas, so when they had the chance to bring him back this off-season, they did. Naohiro didn’t shine as brightly this year, though, and found himself sitting around as a spare piece. Due to a recent injury, Naohiro has just been called up, but it is only so he might get one last taste of the LRS. He will not be invited back next year.

Yohitoshi Kokawa – Yohitoshi was a late-round pick that always did just enough in practice to keep himself on the team. This season, he started out as the Crestas’ DH. He appeared in 25 games and was underwhelming in every way. The team decided to release him. He has since been picked up by Lupin.

Ryosei Suzuki – After excelling last season, the team penciled Ryosei in as the starting 2B for the Crestas. Ryosei never could get comfortable at the plate. In 29 games, he hit a paltry .212/.282/.271. The team didn’t want Ryosei to lose the confidence he earned in 2013, so they sent him back to the Ninjas, where it looks like he has found his stroke. The team hoped he’d take the next step this year and he didn’t, so while he will be brought back next year, future expectations for him are a backup IF at best.

Hidehiro Ota – Hidehiro was signed in the off-season to be a backup for the Crestas and he stayed in that role most of the season, minus a 16-game stint with the Ninjas. His batting was a disappointment and he doesn’t really field well. The team was hoping that his bat would mature enough so that he could become a utility IF and a pinch hitter, but without the bat, he isn’t very reliable. He will likely be back unless the organization can reload its IF prospects.

Hiroji Kobayashi – Building on last season, Hiroji started out hot in May and June, earning a call-up to the C-Warriors when injuries started piling up. Hiroji had a hard time adjusting to the LRS and was sent back down for a brief period, where his slump continued. The team then decided they should bring Hiroji back to the LRS to work out the kinks. Since his recall, Hiroji has found his stroke and is now being considered for one of the starting corner spots next season.

Tabito Fujihara – At the beginning of the season, Tabito’s stock had fallen so low that the team almost released him. Instead, they stuck him in A-ball to start the year. When Ryosei was sent down, Tabito was called up and given one last shot. The team inserted him into the starting lineup in a sink-or-swim situation. Well, Tabito shined at the plate and in the field. He even won a Player of the Week Award in July. Improvements made in the off-season will determine Tabito’s future. While he is still only 24, his past track record has been mediocre at best.

Hayden Walters – Hayden was never suppose to be with the Crestas, but due to having options left and the gaijin rule, he was sent down. While not happy about it, Hayden went about his business and hit an astounding .389/.456/.514. Every day, the team kept tabs on him and kept him informed that once there was a spot open, he’d be recalled. One finally opened up in September and Hayden has taken advantage of it. Hayden knows that, depending on who is signed next year, he may end up with the Crestas again, but if he continues to bat the way he is now, he won’t have to worry much.

Kichisaburo Imai – In only his second pro year, Kichisaburo was placed on the Crestas’ roster. The organization knew it might be a little early, but if he wasn’t in AAA, he was going to be squeezed out of playing time with the Ninjas due to all the prospects down there. Kichisaburo pleasantly surprised the team by batting .296/.347/.378, but more impressive was his +13.3 ZR in CF. The team plans on him being a starter again t AAA next year with zero chance of him being in the LRS, but that is only because they know he needs more plate appearances, and AAA is the best place to get them.

Susumu Kubota – After hitting a low in 2012, Susumu has seen his value shoot up. His only problem this season was staying healthy. Susumu was injured three different times during the year; none serious, but all hindered his development. While on the field, though, Susumu batted .299/.351/.485 and proved above average defensively at all three OF positions. Next season, Susumu will be on the 35-man roster and might be given a shot o win a spot on the active roster out of camp. If he can’t, he definitely will be starting in the OF for the Crestas.

Toshikuni Akiyama – After four seasons with the Ninjas and a good off-season, the organization decided to let Toshikuni play at AAA. The idea was to let him be the 4^th/5^th OF, but then Hiroji was called up and Susumu suffered an injury. Suddenly, Toshikuni became a starter. It was evident that he was overmatched, but the team stuck with him. They feel the game time will help him develop, and there were too many OF in A-ball, anyway. Next season will be spent at AAA learning to hit better pitching and improving on defense.

Lyle Ferrell – Lyle was signed when he was released from San Antonio. The Crestas usually have some Americans batters rounding out the roster. This year, Lyle filled that role. He hit .299/.362/.459, and if you take away his .217/.263/.304 August, that season line would look much nicer. It was nice enough for him to make the All-Star team. Another plus is that Lyle is a great defender at 3B; when he was on the field, the pitchers were at ease. He might be brought back next year if roster space allows, but Lyle is easily replaced.

Mitsuo Iwamoto – After two good A-ball seasons in a row, the team made Mitsuo the starting catcher for the Crestas. In May, Mitsuo looked very comfortable with the transition, but later, he started struggling at the plate. The team is hoping that Mitsuo can work on his plate discipline; he struck out way too many times. If Mitsuo doesn’t show much improvement, his long-term future may only be that of a backup C. As for next season, Mitsuo will be the starter once again for the Crestas.

Kinji Hayakawa – Kinji came out like gangbusters in the month of May and then was as cold as ice in June. Afterwards, though, he hit like the Kinji everyone expects. In his first year above A-ball, his line was .310/.373/.444 – everything the team had hoped for. Kinji still needs major defensive improvement. He may be more suitable at DH, but unfortunately there is none in the BBG. Next year, Kinji will be with the Crestas, but he is on the short list for a late-season call-up.

Sotatsu Kimura – Sotatsu’s numbers this season were a little disappointing compared to last year, but still were very respectable (.296/.376/.393). He hit eight more homers but had no triples (vs. three last year), and while his doubles total went up one, it was done in 154 more AB. While not known for his extra work off the field, the team hopes he does some this off-season to make himself a legitimate candidate for future C-Warriors’ 3B instead of backup journeyman.

Jotaro Chikuda – In 2013, Jotaro was having a great season before he strained his rotator cuff playing catch with his dog. That injury led him to miss the whole year, and some fans even say it caused the Crestas to lose in the playoffs. This season, Jotaro came in with an edge, hoping to show everyone how sorry he was. While he did well in the first enough in the first half to make the All-Star team, he was truly awful in the second half. He is Rule 5-eligible this off-season, but the team is rumored to be considering adding him to the 35-man roster. If Jotaro doesn’t show immediate improvement in the spring, I don’t expect him to be with the team much longer, as there is a long list of outfielders ready to move up.