pitcher were promoted to the main roster before the deadline and performed well?

In NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), the deadline for registering new players as active players is generally July 31st each year. It is by no means easy to make an impact immediately after being promoted to the active roster, but in the past, there have been players who immediately became valuable assets or contributed to their team's win in the postseason.

This time, we'll introduce five pitcher from the Pacific Pacific League who were promoted to the first team just before the deadline for new player registration in the last 10 years and made an impact on the first team that same year. We'll also look at how each pitcher has fared since then, and we look forward to the progress of players who have been promoted this season. (*Records are as of the end of the game on August 14th)

Chia-Hao Sung (Northeast Rakuten Eagles)

　pitcher Chia-Hao Sung signed with Rakuten Eagles as a developmental player in the 2015 offseason and earned a spot on the main roster on July 31, 2017, his second year in Japan. Although he only appeared in 5 games during the regular season, he recorded 3 hold in October. In the Climax Series, he appeared in a total of 4 games, allowing runs in only one and earning 2 wins, greatly contributing to the team's advancement to the final stage.

In 2018, he made 40 appearances with an impressive 1.73 pitch, demonstrating remarkable ERA. Since then, he has continued to be a key member of the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, supporting them for many years. He has made 365 appearances, ranking 29th all-time in NPB history, and holds the record for the most holds by a Taiwanese pitcher with 124 hold. As he enters his 11th year with the team this season, we can expect even greater performance and further record additions from him.

Kotaro Otake (Fukuoka Softbank → Hanshin Tigers)

Kotaro Otake pitcher joined Fukuoka Softbank as the 4th pick in the 2017 developmental player draft, and on July 29, 2018, his rookie year as a pro, he was registered under the main roster. That year, he mainly started in the first team, appearing in 11 games with a 3-2 record and a ERA of 3.88, and he appeared as a reliever in the Climax Series and Japan Series, responding to a wide range of opportunities as a valuable left-hander during crucial periods.

In 2019, he appeared in 17 games, pitching 106 inning with a 5-4 record and a ERA 3.82 ERA as one of the key starters, but from 2020 onward, the depth of the pitcher roster hindered his opportunities to pitch. After transferring to Hanshin Tigers in the 2022 offseason, he established himself as a starter, posting double-digit win for two consecutive years starting in 2023 and contributing to two league championships. He is one of the most notable successful examples of active draft success.

Hiroyuki Fukuyama (Yokohama DeNA → Tohoku Rakuten Eagles)

Hiroyuki Fukuyama joined Yokohama (now Yokohama DeNA) in 2010 as the 6th pick in the draft, and transferred to Tohoku Rakuten Eagles in 2013. In the same year, he appeared in 22 games and was a member of the team that won the club's first-ever Japan Series championship. From 2014, his second year with the club, he appeared in over 60 games for four consecutive years, showcasing stable pitch with ERA of 2.00 or lower. As one of the pillars of the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles bullpen, he had a stellar performance, recording 87 hold in four years.

Due to an injury, he was moved to a development contract during the 2019 offseason, but he returned to the main roster on September 21, 2020 (due to extra inning contract period until September 30, 2020, as a special measure during the COVID-19 pandemic). That year, he made 14 appearances, allowing only one runs and pitch ERA of 0.75, once again proving his abilities. In 2021, he continued ERA performance with a 2.38 ERA in 24 appearances, reaching the milestone of 100 career hold. He overcame a major injury and left a lasting mark on NPB.

Yuki Udagawa (Orix Buffaloes)

　pitcher Yuki Udagawa joined Orix Buffaloes in 2020 as the third pick in the developmental player draft. He was promoted to the main roster on July 28, 2022, his second year as a professional, and appeared in 19 games, recording ERA of 0.81, strike out rate of 12.90, and a WHIP of 0.99. In the postseason, he appeared in a total of 6 games without allowing a runs, and in the Japan Series, he delivered a truly spectacular pitch with 10 strike out in 5.2 inning, becoming one of the driving forces that led the team to a league championship and a Japan Series title just a few months after being promoted to the main roster.

He was selected to represent Japan in the World Baseball Classic held before the start of the 2023 season and was a member of the winning team. After the season started, he pitched well in 46 games, recording 24 hold, ERA of 1.77, and strike out rate of 10.25, making a significant contribution to the team's third consecutive league championship as a key part of their winning pattern. He has been struggling with injuries since then, but we hope he can overcome his injuries and make a full recovery.

Keisuke Sawada (Orix Buffaloes → Chiba Lotte Marines)

　pitcher Keisuke Sawada joined Orix Buffaloes in 2016 as the 8th pick in the draft. In his second year as a professional in 2018, he performed well in 47 games, recording 13 hold and ERA of 2.54, and the following year, 2019, he recorded a career-high 19 hold. He made his presence felt in various situations even within the deep bullpen, but in 2022 he underwent Tommy John surgery and was unable to make any appearances in the first team, and in the offseason of that year he signed with Chiba Lotte Marines as a developmental player.

In his first year with the team, on July 27, 2023, he was promoted to the main roster. That same year, he made 17 appearances, earning 10 hold points, with ERA of 1.08 and strike out rate of 9.72, showcasing his skills as a setup man. On October 1, he recorded his first professional save, and in the first baseman stage of the Climax Series, he made two appearances without allowing runs, demonstrating his ability to perform in crucial situations. He has continued to be a valuable asset to bullpen in subsequent years.

Will a player seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this season and give the team momentum?

pitcher Ohtake, pitcher, Udagawa, and pitcher all played an active role as first-team players immediately after being promoted to the main roster, and pitcher Chia-Hao Sung also made a significant impact in the postseason. For players who were promoted to the main roster just before the deadline for registration, the number of remaining games in the season is not particularly large. However, even under such circumstances, there have been quite a few players who have made great strides by seizing their opportunities.

The question is how many of the players who were promoted to the main roster just before the deadline for this season will be able to contribute to the team for the remainder of the season and the postseason. We have high hopes that these players who have seized their opportunity will shine on the first-team stage and give the team momentum.

Written by Ryota Mochizuki