Shintaro Fujinami

Position: RP

Age: 29 (4/12/1994)

2023 Traditional Stats: 64 G, 79 IP, 7-8, 7.18 ERA, 1.494 WHIP, 83 SO, 45 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 57 ERA+, 23.3 SO%, 12.6 BB%, 4.80 xERA, 4.61 FIP, 5.05 xFIP, 0.2 fWAR, -2.1 bWAR

Rundown

An initial glance at Shintaro Fujinami‘s rookie season would suggest that his transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball was a major adjustment. Beginning your MLB career with one of the worst teams of all time—in the 2023 Oakland Athletics—certainly doesn’t make things easier, but a midseason trade saw him land with the Baltimore Orioles where he ultimately demonstrated the potential of the quality pitcher he can become.

While Fujinami began the season as a member of Oakland’s rotation, his status as a starter lasted just four games. Four starts into the season, Fujinami was a baffling 0-4 with a 14.40 ERA, which prompted Oakland to try him out as a reliever in hopes that would allow his stuff to play better. (His best start was actually against the Mets on April 15.)

From the point at which he became a reliever to the time he was traded, Fujinami posted a 6.03 ERA in 34 1/3 innings despite having a FIP of just 3.87. The Orioles clearly believed in his potential as they were ready to start their playoff push, which prompted them to trade for the rookie just months into his MLB career.

Fujinami joined an elite Baltimore bullpen and was allowed to feel more comfortable by being put in low-pressure situations. He still struggled at times, though, and ended the year with a 4.85 ERA as a member of Baltimore’s bullpen. Still, he was much more effective and less volatile than he was with the A’s. Because of that, his season ERA of 7.18 doesn’t exactly reflect the progression he made throughout the season, even if that progression wasn’t enough to make him a completely polished pitcher.

Teams will still be enamored with Fujinami this offseason, though, based on his stuff alone.

Fujinami relies on five pitches, with his fastball (56.6%), splitter (20.1%), and cutter (16%) being his primary pitches. He also deploys a sweeper (6.1%) and rarely goes with a slider (1.2%). (This difference is likely just depending on how well he gets his slider to break horizontally.) Fujinami’s fastball and splitter are especially impressive, with his fastball able to top 100 mph and his splitter capable of reaching 95 mph. Being 6-foot-6 certainly helps Fujinami in extending closer to the plate and making his pitches seem even faster coming out of his hand. That could explain, despite his struggles, why he ranked in the 78th percentile for whiff rate among all pitchers in 2023.

Because of his struggles as a starter at the beginning of the 2023 season and the way he profiles as a pitcher, Fujinami will almost certainly be sought after as a reliever this offseason. The way he was able to settle in with Baltimore after a disastrous stint in Oakland bodes well for him and his future as he looks to fully round into form as one of MLB’s most electric pitchers.

Contract

Prior to the 2023 season, Fujinami signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the A’s. Whether he’s worthy of a larger contract now is still a question after an up-and-down first major league season.

Based on potential alone, he could certainly receive a contract worth more whether that’s for one year or for multiple years. My best guess is he signs another one-year deal worth a little bit more than the one he signed with Oakland a year ago.

Recommendation

The Mets’ bullpen at this point in time essentially consists of just Edwin Díaz and Brooks Raley so, yes, they should absolutely be interested in signing Fujinami. They won’t have to break the bank to sign him, and David Stearns knows how to construct an elite bullpen like he did in Milwaukee.

Fujinami could use Kodai Senga as a resource for how to successfully transition to MLB after years of playing in Japan. If Fujinami is open to playing in New York, Stearns should definitely pursue him.