This article is part of our Baseball Draft Kit series.
This year's international class is more notable for the star players staying put instead of the players making the move to MLB. The league's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) broadened the bonus restrictions on foreign players to include those up to age 25 and with up to six years of professional experience. Still, some high impact players could emerge to continue a recent wave of talent from Japan, Cuba and South Korea.
When the CBA was announced, the spotlight immediately turned to hyped Japanese two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, who is 22 years old, with four years of professional experience. The hype around Ohtani is justified. As a pitcher, he works in the 96-99 mph range with his fastball and he has touched 102 mph. It's a package that dominated in 2016 to the tune of a 1.86 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 140 innings. Blister problems kept him off the mound for much of the summer, allowing him to focus on his DH role, where he slashed .322/.416/.588 with 22 home runs in 323 at-bats.
Ohtani will be in MLB sooner or later, but coming prior to 2020 could cost him perhaps a quarter of a billion dollars.
While we wait for Ohtani, there are a couple of interesting names to look for in 2017.
The first of those names should ring familiar -- Eric Thames is returning from a three-year stint with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) to play for the Brewers. Thames notably
This year's international class is more notable for the star players staying put instead of the players making the move to MLB. The league's new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) broadened the bonus restrictions on foreign players to include those up to age 25 and with up to six years of professional experience. Still, some high impact players could emerge to continue a recent wave of talent from Japan, Cuba and South Korea.
When the CBA was announced, the spotlight immediately turned to hyped Japanese two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani, who is 22 years old, with four years of professional experience. The hype around Ohtani is justified. As a pitcher, he works in the 96-99 mph range with his fastball and he has touched 102 mph. It's a package that dominated in 2016 to the tune of a 1.86 ERA with 174 strikeouts in 140 innings. Blister problems kept him off the mound for much of the summer, allowing him to focus on his DH role, where he slashed .322/.416/.588 with 22 home runs in 323 at-bats.
Ohtani will be in MLB sooner or later, but coming prior to 2020 could cost him perhaps a quarter of a billion dollars.
While we wait for Ohtani, there are a couple of interesting names to look for in 2017.
The first of those names should ring familiar -- Eric Thames is returning from a three-year stint with the NC Dinos of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) to play for the Brewers. Thames notably posted video game numbers in Korea, particularly in 2015 when he slashed .381/.497/.790 with 47 home runs and 40 steals. He fell back to earth somewhat in 2016, but still posted a .317/.425/.676 line with 40 home runs.
Crazy offensive stat lines aren't that unusual in the KBO, but Thames passes the eye test as well. His swing appears to be basically the same as it was in his first MLB go-round; short, quick, with a little uppercut and optimized for getting the ball into the air. Thames appears to be more confident and aggressive at the plate.
Normal transition and adjustment periods aside, the one thing to keep an eye on is Thames' lefty/righty platoon split. The lefty hitting Thames torched righties for a .360 average and 28 home runs in 247 at-bats. Against lefties, he only managed a .265 batting average and eight home runs (KBO's official stats split lefty, righty and underhanded pitchers into different categories). All things considered, Thames' MLB success is not assured, but he looks like a pretty good guy to roll the dice on.
Also moving to MLB from Korea is Lotte Giants third baseman Jae-Gyun Hwang. Hwang was posted following the 2015 season, but didn't attract any MLB bidders. He responded in 2016 by setting career highs in batting average, OBP, slugging percentage and home runs, and by cutting his strikeouts nearly in half. He inked a minor-league deal with San Francisco in January, where he will compete with Conor Gillaspie for playing time behind Eduardo Nunez.
Hwang's progress as a hitter was most evident in his approach and ability to make contact. While his contact improvement came without sacrificing his power, most of his 2016 home runs were to his pull side, and it's hard to imagine him turning on that many MLB-quality pitches. Hwang's best tool might be his throwing arm, which is one of the best in Asia and certainly MLB caliber. While he has good hands, his range isn't great. It's a package that suggests he could be a competent MLB third baseman, but doesn't scream multi-position utility.
Few of the top experienced players in Cuba remain after the steady wave of talent departing the island this decade. Most of the talent coming from Cuba are younger players, often teenagers, with little professional experience. While they offer tremendous potential, they're years away from making an impact for most fantasy leagues. We should get a glimpse of the next wave of Cuban stars during this year's World Baseball Classic.
It was a surprise when both Yulieski Gurriel and his brother, Lourdes Gurriel, left the island in February 2016 to sign with MLB teams as both were seen as content to stay in Cuba. Yulieski was in the majors with the Astros by August. Lourdes hit .344/.407/.560 with 10 homers in 245 plate appearances in 2015-16 in the Serie Nacional, Cuba's professional league. After signing with Toronto, he's quickly become one of the Blue Jays' top prospects. He'll begin the season at Triple-A and could be up with Toronto this summer.
Jose Miguel Fernandez defected in December 2015, but failed to sign even though he was eligible and exempt from the international bonus pools. Despite a pedigree that made him the No. 3 hitter for Cuba's 2013 World Baseball Classic team, Fernandez's current skill set is uncertain. Scouts once raved at his quick swing and strong plate discipline. He also had the athleticism to play second base, but Fernandez hasn't played professional baseball since October 2014 when he was suspended from Cuba's professional league for trying to defect. Fernandez signed a minor-league deal with the Dodgers in January, and he could make an impact on the 25-man roster in short order if he shows he's anything close to the player he was before he left Cuba.
Two younger players to watch are Cionel Perez and Norge Ruiz. The 21-year-old Perez may quickly become the top left-handed pitching prospect in the Astros' organization. He features a mid-to-low 90s fastball with two promising breaking balls. Perez's last season in Cuba was impressive, as he posted a 2.06 ERA over 17 starts. Ruiz was regarded as perhaps Cuba's top pitching prospect when he defected in May 2015. The 23-year-old won the Rookie of the Year award in the Serie Nacional in 2012-13. He has a fastball that can reach the mid-90s along with plus breaking pitches. He's likely to sign with an MLB team in the spring after pitching in the Dominican Winter League.
This article appears in the 2017 RotoWire Fantasy Baseball Guide. You can order a copy here.
