Kyuji Fujikawa | MLB Free Agency: Top Foreign Stars Who Could Be Next Offseason’s Yu Darvish
|Age: 31
Position: RHP
2011 Stats: 56 G, 41 Sv, 1.24 ERA, 80 Ks, 51 IP
The premier closer in Japan, Kyuji Fujikawa has racked up 178 saves over the past five seasons with a 1.37 ERA and 12.6 K/9 as he has been absolutely dominant.
His fastball sits in the mid-90s and can reach 97, but it has great late movement in the zone allowing him to throw it by hitters on a regular basis.
He could have an impact similar to that of Kazuhiro Sasaki, who signed with the Mariners as a 31-year-old back in 2000 and saved 37, 45 and 37 games over three terrific seasons as the team’s closer before returning to Japan.