poldy
2021-11-09 17:47:58 UTC
So one possibility is to sign possibly the next great Japanese player.
The Giants scout the Pacific Rim like every other major-league team, and
they no doubt have any number of evaluations on Seiya Suzuki, the
27-year-old superstar outfielder from Japan who became one of the
biggest prizes of the offseason after the Hiroshima Carp decided to post
his rights to MLB clubs.
One of those evaluations might mean more than the others. Giants
right-hander Jay Jackson was Suzuki’s teammate in Hiroshima from
2016-18. And he views the athletic, right-handed hitter as a bona fide
impact player.
“I think people need to see him,” Jackson said when asked about Suzuki
in July. “He is an unbelievable talent. I got to play with him when he
was younger and he wasn’t as mature as he is now. But even when he was
so raw, you could see it: the arm, the quickness that he has, the power
that he has, the stroke that he has. His eye was getting better and
better and you saw just the plate discipline getting there.
“I feel like he needs to come over here. He’s a great athlete, a great
guy. He’s funny. His personality, I think, would translate well over
here. He’s a special guy.”
Suzuki, who also starred on the Samurai Japan team that won Olympic Gold
this summer, batted .319/.436/.644 with 38 home runs for Hiroshima this
past season. And that selectivity that Jackson mentioned? It’s gotten
better and better. Over the past three seasons, Suzuki has more walks
(262) than strikeouts (240). He’s considered a better-than-average right
fielder — he won four Gold Gloves in Japan — with a plus arm. He’s being
made available to MLB teams in the midst of his prime. And his golden
K/BB ratio combined with his power potential make him an ideal fit for
the Giants’ offensive template.
“With his swing and his plate discipline getting better, if he gets with
the coaches over here, with the way they use analytics, I think he’ll be
good,” Jackson said. “He’ll be really good.”
They need to build up a starting rotation first, since only Webb is
signed and all others are free agents.
Belt got a $18.4 million qualifying offer for next season. He has 10
days to accept or go into free agency.
The Giants scout the Pacific Rim like every other major-league team, and
they no doubt have any number of evaluations on Seiya Suzuki, the
27-year-old superstar outfielder from Japan who became one of the
biggest prizes of the offseason after the Hiroshima Carp decided to post
his rights to MLB clubs.
One of those evaluations might mean more than the others. Giants
right-hander Jay Jackson was Suzuki’s teammate in Hiroshima from
2016-18. And he views the athletic, right-handed hitter as a bona fide
impact player.
“I think people need to see him,” Jackson said when asked about Suzuki
in July. “He is an unbelievable talent. I got to play with him when he
was younger and he wasn’t as mature as he is now. But even when he was
so raw, you could see it: the arm, the quickness that he has, the power
that he has, the stroke that he has. His eye was getting better and
better and you saw just the plate discipline getting there.
“I feel like he needs to come over here. He’s a great athlete, a great
guy. He’s funny. His personality, I think, would translate well over
here. He’s a special guy.”
Suzuki, who also starred on the Samurai Japan team that won Olympic Gold
this summer, batted .319/.436/.644 with 38 home runs for Hiroshima this
past season. And that selectivity that Jackson mentioned? It’s gotten
better and better. Over the past three seasons, Suzuki has more walks
(262) than strikeouts (240). He’s considered a better-than-average right
fielder — he won four Gold Gloves in Japan — with a plus arm. He’s being
made available to MLB teams in the midst of his prime. And his golden
K/BB ratio combined with his power potential make him an ideal fit for
the Giants’ offensive template.
“With his swing and his plate discipline getting better, if he gets with
the coaches over here, with the way they use analytics, I think he’ll be
good,” Jackson said. “He’ll be really good.”
They need to build up a starting rotation first, since only Webb is
signed and all others are free agents.
Belt got a $18.4 million qualifying offer for next season. He has 10
days to accept or go into free agency.