The continuous influx of Asian players is on! The latest addition to the list is Shinnosuke Ogasawara, signed by the Nationals for a two-year contract. With Ogasawara not much known in the MLB circuit till now, his NPB career makes a strong case. However, the Nationals were not the only team interested in him, rather three teams got behind Ogasawara and ultimately the Nats made the last laugh. 

This year, the Nats are strategizing their rotation focusing on the young talents and rebuilding the team from scratch. Ogasawara will become a part of this strategy indicating the Nats may have long-term planning with him after evaluating his performance in the first two years. Reportedly, the Nats will be a renewed force this time with more young talents joining the team. However, what’s so special about Ogasawara which forced the Nats to sign him from Japan? Also, why did Shinnosuke Ogasawara select the Nationals over other contending teams?

Why is the Washington Nationals the best choice?

Exploring his skillsets and past performance, the Nats considered Ogasawara a perfect choice. But, what made Ogasawara select the Nats over other contenders? “I had offers from around three teams. The money wasn’t there for one of them. Another one already had their starting rotation filled. The Nationals were the best choice for me”, said Ogasawara on why he selected the Nats.

Hence, among the other two contending teams, affordability was an issue with one and another already got their starting pitchers covered leaving less chance for Shinnosuke Ogasawara to start. In the meantime, no such issues for Ogasawara with the Nats.

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Moreover, the planning of the Nats regarding their starter rotation also fits well with Shinnosuke Ogasawara. It is projected that Michael Soroka, MacKenzie Gore, and Jake Irvin will be the core of their opening-day rotation. Likewise, Ogasawara will compete with Trevor Williams, Mitchell Parker, and DJ Herz for the remaining spots. Hence, the probability of Ogasawara getting into the starter rotation is high with the Nats. 

Considering all these factors, Shinnosuke Ogasawara signed with the Nats could benefit both parties. For someone like Ogasawara who is new to MLB, getting the scope for starting rotation is the best deal. It’s a logical fit for both parties.

The brilliance of Shinnosuke Ogasawara is ready to be unleashed!

With the Nats focusing more on young talents, the reliability shown by Ogasawara during his stint at NPB landed him with the Nats. His skillsets also attracted two other teams from MLB but a few factors led Ogasawara to sign with the Nats. So what are his numbers that got all the talking?

Well, Ogasawara is coming up with a 3.28 ERA across 596 innings at NPB. He got 757 SO in his NPB career spanning 8 years and a 62 mph curveball is what he is known for. Now, the scope Ogasawara offers for further development will remain with the scouting analysis. 

“Part of the attractiveness to him is that he’s not a finished product”, said the Nationals GM Mike Rizzo referring to the flexibility of Ogasawara to get as per the Nats’ requirements and conditions. This also conveys confidence from the team that Ogasawara is yet to show his best abilities and the team will back him in doing the same.

Quite a morale-booster for a newcomer! Reportedly, the Nats have been scouting Ogasawara for the past couple of seasons, which made them confident about his skillsets.

“With this particular player, we liked the skillset, we liked that the age fits our timeline, and that type of thing”, said Rizzo pointing to how the Nats are planning with Ogasawara for the long-term. For the unversed, Shinnosuke Ogasawara is 27 years old and yet to reach his prime and if his performance is good in MLB, the Nats can have years-long service from him.

Building the talents for the long run aligns with the team’s journey this year, to rebuild the team with the young talents. So, Ogasawara fits the bill perfectly for the Nats.