Shinnosuke Ogasawara eyes MLB move from worst-performing CL team of 2024 season in Japan

The influx of premier NPB pitchers to MLB continues as Shinnosuke Ogasawara's request to be posted has been approved by his parent club, the Chunichi Dragons. The 27-year-old lefty has been the leading pitcher for the floundering Dragons. Given the dim prospects of the team, the hurler requested to be allowed to explore other options.

Ogasawara made his debut for the Dragons in 2016. He finished his rookie campaign with a 2-6 record and a 3.36 ERA. He would continue to deliver for Chunichi as he compiled a 46-65 record with a 3.62 ERA and 757 strikeouts in nine seasons with the organization. The lefty was also selected to his first NPB All-Star team in 2023.

However, due to Chunichi's last-place finishes in the Central League for three straight years and a 43.8% winning percentage in the last four seasons, Ogasawara has now set his eyes on MLB.

"The Chunichi Dragons have approved LHP Shinnosuke Ogasawara’s MLB posting request." - @ Yakyu Cosmopolitan

The Dragons are one of the founding members of Nippon Professional Baseball and are one of the few franchises to never relocate after the league's founding. The club found success in the late 2000s until the early 2010s on the back of the greatest Japanese closer of all time, Hitoki Iwase.

The team claimed the Japan Series title in 2007 against Yu Darvish's Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. Along with their domestic success, the team also won the Konami Cup Asian Series in the same year by beating the SK Wyverns of the KBO.

The Asian Series was a tournament that featured the champions of the Japanese, South Korean, Chinese and Taiwanese baseball leagues.

Former MLB players feature in Japan Series

This season, NPB's Japan Series will feature the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks and the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Just like in previous seasons, several players who had once made a name for themselves in MLB will feature in Japan's biggest series.

For the Hawks, 2017 All-Star Roberto Osuna and former Boston Red Sox prospect Jeter Downs will feature for the 91-win squad. On the other side of the dugout, former New York Yankee and now NPB All-Star Tyler Austin, former Dodgers pitcher Andre Jackson, former Toronto Blue Jay Anthony Kay and journeyman Mike Ford will represent the BayStars.