Kosuke Fukudome Translations (very good ones)

[1908]

Eh, there will be some younger players now who will develop into quality players. Nakajima put up a .274 EqA in his 24.5 age season and a .266 in his 23.5 age season. Putting on the same age curve I developed here:

 

22 .244

23 .266

24 .274

25 .270

26 .276

27 .273

28 .273

29 .275

30 .269

31 .270

32 .276

33 .255

34 .262

35 .247

36 .243

37 .237

 

He's not great, but he's quite talented. Kawasaki's is even better and he's a much better defensive SS than Nakajima. Both of them (and probably even Nishioka) are better than Ryan Theriot so we should covet them. There's more talent on the way, specifically Sho Nakata.

I was intrigued by Nakajima a couple years ago but now not so much. He regressed last year and I have my doubts he'd stick at SS in MLB.

 

Kawasaki wasn't on my radar. He won't be a free agent until after 2012 and I haven't read anything about him wanting to be posted.

 

I agree there's always more talent on the way. MLB still has done a solid job of mining the best players. Not many superstars left.

[Mephistopheles]

All the superstars are aging (Ogasawara, Matsunaka, etc) or are are pre-superstardom (Nakata). The lull in between are guys we've taken, although the age 23-28 class doesn't look as impressive as the generation of them before them. However it's the opposite on the mound. Most of the good ones are young.

[Mephistopheles]

Now let's hope the faded jersey fad doesn't come to the US:

 

http://www.marines.co.jp/upfile_m/File/new_uniform.jpg

 

Chiba Lotte's new pajamas.

[TheGrinch]

Are those Fukudome projections based solely on the switch from Japan to the US on average for any player or did it adjust for park factors as well? Because judging by some of the footage of Fukudome at his home park, he was playing in a blue version of Petco.

 

his stats are translated from the Nagoya Dome in the Central League to Wrigley Field in the 2007 National League.

 

Awesome. That takes a whole lot of calculatin'. Not to be a downer or anything and I'm sure it has been said before, but the projected stats from Fuku don't seem that much better from what I would expect in a full season of Murton at the plate.

 

oh I don't know. what's 50 points of slugging and 40 points of obp worth these days?

 

11.3 million a year? (Not that the gap in OPS will really be that great this season if Murton gets regular playing time somewhere)