The Orioles’ attendance at Camden Yards this season has improved, however it’s removed from among the best within the main leagues.
To Shintaro Fujinami, although, the house crowds he’ll pitch in entrance of over the season’s last two and a half months will dwarf these in contrast together with his former staff.
“A little nervous,” Fujinami stated by way of interpreter Issei Kamada earlier than Friday’s sport versus the Tampa Bay Rays in his first time talking with native media. “A lot more people watching the game. Obviously, some situations, Oakland have some fans watching [me], but this is going to be more fans. A little more pressure.”
The Orioles acquired Fujinami, a hard-throwing right-handed reliever, from the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday night. He was added to the 26-man roster Friday, with right-hander Logan Gillaspie being optioned to Triple-A. The Orioles, the American League’s greatest staff with a 59-37 file getting into Friday, have drawn a median of 21,430 per dwelling sport, which ranks twenty second in MLB, based on Baseball-Reference. That’s greater than twice the attendance of the Athletics, the majors’ worst membership with a 27-72 file. The Athletics’ possession group is in search of to maneuver the staff to Las Vegas, a course of that has induced Oakland’s dwelling crowds to recurrently dip beneath 10,000.
Fujinami, 29, stated he was “surprised” to be traded however added he’s trying ahead to studying from an Orioles bullpen that has “a bunch of great pitchers.” Baltimore acquired the Japanese fireballer in change for Triple-A left-hander Easton Lucas within the first deal the Orioles have been on the purchase aspect of a prospect-for-player commerce in the course of the season since govt vp and normal supervisor Mike Elias took over earlier than the 2019 marketing campaign.
“I got to meet him a little bit ago. It was a pleasure,” supervisor Brandon Hyde stated. “A real classy, professional guy. Had a great conversation with him about his time in Oakland, but also about being here, and he’s excited to be here and we’re excited to have him.”
Fujinami started his skilled profession as a younger phenom in Japan. He performed in highschool in opposition to Los Angeles Angels two-way marvel Shohei Ohtani, and the 2 have been chosen in the identical Nippon Professional Baseball draft a decade in the past. Fujinami was posted by his NPB staff this previous offseason and signed a one-year cope with the Athletics.
He struggled to start his main league profession, going 0-4 and permitting 19 hits, 12 walks and 24 runs in 15 innings throughout his first 4 begins. He was moved to the bullpen and improved because the season progressed, honing his pitch combine and sharpening his command. In his previous 18 1/3 innings, the 6-foot-6 right-hander has a 2.45 ERA and 19 strikeouts versus simply six walks.
“The stuff is really good,” Hyde stated. “He was pitching really well in Oakland the last 10 or 15 appearances.”
Fujinami credited his latest success to adjusting to baseball within the United States. The strike zone, strategy from hitters and the bodily baseball are all totally different in MLB than in NPB, he stated. The baseball is much less cheesy in MLB — a typical problem that many Japanese pitchers face.
“I wasn’t very comfortable with my pitching mechanics at the beginning of the season and the ball is a little different, more slicky here,” Fujinami stated.
Fujinami has thrown seven totally different pitches this season, however he’s ditched most of them since turning into a reliever. He nearly solely throws his four-seam fastball — which averages 98 mph and touches triple digits — and a 92.6 mph splitter. If that mixture sounds acquainted, it’s the identical one nearer Félix Bautista sports activities.
“One thing is I came here from starter to reliever, so I had to cut down the pitches,” Fujinami stated. “And also beginning the season I struggled with command a little bit, so focus on less pitches and get better at them. The pitching coach told [me] that my fastball and split is elite level in the big leagues, so I focused on those two.”
Hyde stated the objective is to “ease” his new reliever in with low-leverage appearances. But given the Orioles are within the midst of a four-game sequence with the second-best staff within the AL, that may not be seemingly.
“Have you been watching our games?” Hyde quipped when requested about doubtlessly putting Fujinami in low-pressure environments, referencing how usually the Orioles play shut video games.
Fujinami is a free agent on the finish of the season, and he stated he would like to return to being a beginning pitcher sooner or later. For now, he understands his function as a bullpen arm for the perfect staff within the AL.
“At this point, the big leagues value me as a reliever, so I’ll do my best here,” he stated.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com