After playing for the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Dodgers for three seasons, the 30-year-old outfielder Sheldon Neuge wore the Hanshin Tigers uniform with "Japan Dream" on his head in 2023. He signed an annual contract for 1.3 million dollars. He played in 147 games in the Major League and was able to sign a contract worth more than 1 million dollars.메이저사이트

In his first year, he played in 133 games and recorded a batting average of 240-114 hits, nine home runs and 56 RBIs. Even though it is a "go-to-go" league where foreign hitters are unable to succeed, the performance falls short of expectations considering annual salary. His strong shoulders stood out, but his regular season performance made it uncertain to renew his contract.

He was different in the Japan Series. He hit his first home run of the series against the Orix Buffaloes and the "super ace" Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 6. He hit a three-run homer in Game 7 off left-hander Hiroya Miyagi. He led Hanshin to the Japan Series title for the first time in 38 years. Noji renewed his contract with an annual salary of 1.1 million dollars, which was cut by 200,000 dollars.

He succeeded in renewing his contract, but Japan Dream did not last. Hanshin released Noji as a free agent on October 24. He played in 49 games this season, hitting .231 with one homerun and eight RBIs. Since his first-team registration was canceled in May, he has not been able to join the first team. This year, Hanshin received little help from foreign batters.

Due to the high level of pitchers in the Japanese professional baseball league, it is difficult to succeed even if the Major League has a fairly good career. In the past, breaking balls such as elaborate ball control and folk ball were considered strengths, but the speed of his pitches has improved. Many foreign hitters who have recently achieved good performance in Japan have been adapting to the Japanese league for many years. The Major League evaluates the Japanese professional baseball as "triple A," which is close to that of the Major League.

Hanshin announced on Monday that it has recruited Ramon Hernandez (28), an infielder from the Dominican Republic. He weighs between 1 meter and 102 kilograms, and can play as an outfielder on the first and third bases.

His profile stands out. He has no major league experience. He started with a minor league team under the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 and mostly played for Single-A and Double-A. In 2019, he had a batting average of 236-11 home runs and 44 RBIs in 98 games for the Double-A team under the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Most foreign players who usually visit Japanese professional baseball and KBO leagues have major league experience. Major League career is the basic data for evaluating the possibility of success.

Hernandez played in the Mexican league this year. He played in 82 games and posted a batting average of 313 - 22 home runs - 71 RBIs. "I paid attention to the long hitting ability," a Hanshin team official said. "I'm grateful to Hanshin for trusting my ability and giving me a chance to play."

There is one more thing that stands out. His annual salary is 300,000 U.S. dollars. This is a low annual salary that is not found in the KBO League. These days, most foreign hitters in the KBO League completely sign contracts with the annual salary cap of 1 million dollars in the first year. Even in Japan, where there is no restriction on the possession of foreign players, the amount is unusually low for an official contractor other than a contractor.

Last year's champion Hanshin ranked second after the Yomiuri Giants in the Central League this season. Though not flashy, the team is solid. Major players are holding onto almost all positions both inside and outside the country. Yusuke Oyama, the center hitter who remained as a free agent at the first base, and Sato, who hit 84 home runs for four seasons at the third base

Only one spot in the outfield is in competition. Koji Chikamoto, the highest paid player in the team, is in center field, and Shota Morishita, the fourth batter of the Japanese Premier 12 national team, is in right field. Hernandez will compete with Japanese players for the left field position. "The competition will bring tension. This is the competition Fujikawa wants," a club official said.

In the past, Hanshin invested in foreign hitters who had experienced the KBO League. Willin Rosario from the Hanwha Eagles in 2018 and Mel Rojas Jr. from the KT Wiz in 2021-2022 played for Hanshin. He received special treatment. Rosario received an annual salary of 3.5 million dollars. His career in the Major League, which exceeded 20 home runs in one season, may have played a role. Rojas, a former MVP of the KBO League, signed a two-year contract of 5.5 million dollars.

Both players packed their bags with disastrous results. He was treated as a nuisance because he couldn't adapt to Japanese baseball, but left. He showed that his previous league performance was only a reference.

A player with no major league experience with 300,000 U.S. dollars a year. Will he be able to overcome the barriers of the Japanese professional baseball league to achieve his Japanese dream.