One of the biggest topics this off-season in Major League Baseball was Japanese phenom Shohei Ohtani. His ability to hit and pitch at an elite level in Japan made him one of the most sought after free agents. Ohtani decided to take his talents to the Angels organization. According to MLB.com Ohtani was ranked as the #2 Free Agent available once the off-season officially kicked off.
The Cardinals also signed a pitcher out of Japan by the name of Miles Mikolas. This signing was an afterthought for many baseball fans. Mikolas was a former big league pitcher who fell on some bad luck and decided to take his talents to Japan to iron out some kinks. His most recognizable moment during his time in the Majors was when he ate a live lizard while he was in the bullpen. The Lizard King had to fly overseas.
It’s happened before in recent memory. If anybody remembers Colby Lewis, a similar situation happened to him. He had some success in Japan, moved back to the Major Leagues and became a serviceable 4th or 5th starter for the Rangers.
Interestingly, Mikolas and Ohtani had similar statistics in Japan, yet the fan reaction has been considerably more positive for Ohtani.
Let’s take a look at some numbers for Mikolas, Ohtani, and other top Japanese starters who made the jump to the Majors. (Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka) Career Averages
Pitcher A
2.19 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1.5 BB/9, 8.0 K/9
Pitcher B
2.53 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.3 BB/9, 10.3 K/9
Pitcher C
2.30 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 1.9 BB/9, 8.5 K/9
Pitcher D
1.99 ERA, 0.99 ERA, 2.4 BB/9, 8.9 K/9
At first glance, there isn’t much of a difference between these 4 pitchers. If you take the average place of each the order sits at.
1. Yu Darvish – 1.75 (Pitcher D)
2. Miles Mikolas -2.25 (Pitcher A)
3A. Masahiro Tanaka – 3 (Pitcher C)
3B. Shohei Ohtani – 3 (Pitcher B)
Miles Mikolas was Pitcher A in this comparison and his numbers stack up quite well. Although his strikeout numbers were the lowest of the group, his walk rate was the best of the group. Both Darvish and Tanaka have had solid MLB careers thus far, which I believe helps my case for Mikolas being a a dark Horse. Ohtani is the youngest in the group at 23 years old, but Mikolas (29), Tanaka (29), and Darvish (31) are close in age.
Cardinals fans have been clamoring for a top of the rotation starter, but I genuinely don’t believe they give Mikolas enough credit. Mikolas had solid Minor League numbers in the Padres organization, before making his Major League debut in 2012. He didn’t have the best Major League statistics but went to Japan and has since revitalized his career. The sky is the limit for him and I think he will benefit from his time already being in the Majors.
I truly believe Mikolas will benefit the organization. He will be surrounded by a passionate fan base that I hope will rally behind him. The addition of Mike Maddux is another strong indication that the pitching staff is in good hands. This signing is going to be looked at in a few years as an absolute steal. Good luck Miles. I don’t think you’ll have to eat any more Lizards (unless it’s your thing)
Let’s end it off with a look at his time in Japan.
Video Courtesy of Love Giants
Thanks for reading,
Aaron M
