Masahiro Tanaka made history last night, winning his 24th straight game this season without a loss. In the process, Tanaka led his team to their first Pacific League Championship since their establishment in 2005.
What an amazing season, going 24-0 with one save… That’s sick!
Joe D.
Original Post 10/7
I’m big on international signings — because in some cases, you get to add a new prospect to the system for just money, while others provide an established player for the same cost alone. Guys like Jose Abreu become a bit more tantalizing when you realize that they don’t cost a draft pick or require a package of prospects to be traded away — but can potentially provide the production of an all-star. The Mets were scouting Abreu recently, perhaps halfheartedly, and another international prospect: Masahiro Tanaka.
Japanese imports have produced a mixed bag for MLB teams, where you have guys like Kei Igawa listed as complete busts but Yu Darvish standing as one of the top pitchers in the AL. More than likely, the players will produce mixed results on their own, such as Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideo Nomo, or Hiroki Kuroda — who have each experienced success in some way or form in the MLB. Takashi Saito and Koji Uehara are also two recent examples of starters converted into relievers who found success — another potential route to being a mainstay in the MLB.
Outside of Shohei Otani, I do not always pay much attention to Japanese pitchers — but Tanaka is a pretty talented young hurler. Coming off a 2013 season where he went 20-0 in 23 starts with a 1.24 ERA and just 26 walks in 188.0 innings pitched, it’s hard not to take notice of the guy. His best year was in 2011, where he went 19-5 in 27 starts with 226.1 innings pitched — to the tune of a 1.27 ERA and a 241:27 K:BB ratio. One of the biggest keys to Tanaka’s success is his walk rate — just a 1.9 BB/9 for his career and about a 1.1 over the last three years or so. He does a good job of keeping the ball in the ballpark and boasts a track record of being a work horse with 52 complete games in his career — 18 of them being shutout victories.
Tanaka possesses a respectable arsenal of four pitches: two fastballs (four-seam/two-seam), a slider, and a splitter. Ben Badler called Tanaka’s splitter, “…arguably the best splitter in the world.” His slider has serious bite to it and sits in the mid 80s. His fastball usually sits in the low 90s, but in the start that Badler scouted, he touched 97 MPH on his 108th pitch of the game — so he can reach back if needed. He turns 25 in November.
“He has good velocity, command and a great demeanor,” said a major league scout whose team is watching Tanaka closely. “He has a great splitter, which would make a difference in the majors.”
“He can strike out batters when he needs to,” he stated. “He really knows how to bear down. His slider is his secondary pitcher. We project him as a No. 2 starter for most MLB clubs.”
Tim Dierkes at MLB Trade Rumors ranks Tanaka as the best starting pitcher in this year’s free agent class followed by Ervin Santana, Matt Garza, Hiroki Kuroda and A.J. Burnett.
Dierkes had the following to say about the young phenom.
“Tanaka leaps onto the list as a contender for the best available starting pitcher. Not technically a free agent, Tanaka will have to be posted by his Japanese team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. He’ll play next year at age 25, coming off a 1.24 ERA in 181 innings for Rakuten.”
Now, signing a Japanese player is more complicated considering the posting system and all that stuff, but it’s fun to debate the thought. The Mets’ system is supposedly rich in young pitching — but as of right now, all of the young arms from Montero down are unproved commodities. As much as I hate to admit that there is a chance they can fail…it exists. For the record, I do love our prospects — I just want to be realistic.
It is my personal opinion that Tanaka has a solid chance to succeed in the MLB, but I doubt the Mets will target him (because they have no…marbles). If he was successful, it would allow the Mets the flexibility to trade some of the depth we have at pitcher to try and improve in other areas — namely shortstop.
Oh hey, somebody better warn Tanaka that wherever he ends up, he’s gonna be traded for Jack Parkman. 
