Junichi Tazawa -- 田泽纯一 Position: Starting Pitcher 2008 Team: Nippon Oil ENEOS (Japan Industrial League) 2009 Projected Team: Portland Sea Dogs Strengths: This Japanese right-handed pitcher features exceptional secondary offerings and a fastball that sits 90-92 MPH, with some riding action in on right-handed hitters. His advanced slider is a pitch he can bury on batters as it sharply drops out of the strike zone late in its approach to home plate. Tazawa will mix in a 73-77 MPH curveball with some big bend to it, as well as an above-average forkball. His forkball acts more like a change-up and is a pitch that he uses to pull the string on hitters, keeping them off-balance and way out on their front foot. Working with an unconventional delivery, Tazawa has a whipping arm action that gives his offerings a bit of a different look. The ball appears a lot slower out of his hand when he throws his secondary pitches, and his fastball will jump on hitters given the number of off-speed pitches he mixes in. Its tough to gauge his delivery, and his pitches have a lot of deception to them. Capable of moving the ball inside and outside, Tazawa has excellent command of his arsenal at this point in time. In a controversial move, Tazawa asked the professional teams in Japan not to draft him in order for him to pursue his career in the United States. The Red Sox signed him despite other teams outbidding them, in part because of Tazawa’s dream to pitch with his idol, Daisuke Matsuzaka. Development Needs: Tazawa’s fastball is just average right now and the least advanced of his offerings. When he’s able to keep his hand on top of the pitch, it has some run on it, but when he gets under the pitch and tries to overthrow it, it flattens out and comes in on a straight trajectory. Despite some reports of velocity in the high 90’s, he generally operates in the low 90 ’s with his fastball and tops out around 94. Improvement on his fastball is a target area for Tazawa, and how well this pitch improves will be a good indicator of where he will project as a major leaguer. At 22 years old, he’s most likely reached his peak in fastball velocity. Coming from the Japan Industrial League, he’s very untested against advanced competition and has yet to face the type of batters he will in the United States. Given the culture change and the advancement in competition, a period of adjustment can be expected of Tazawa, and it remains to be seen how long it will take for him to transition into baseball at the highest level. However, Tazawa has been strong this spring in the major league camp and has drawn a lot of praise from Sox officials for his stuff and potential. His delivery is on the unconventional side, but the Red Sox haven’t made any indications that they will try to change things as of now. 2009 Outlook: Tazawa is still in the major league camp with the Red Sox and is having a strong start to his transition to baseball in the United States. Look for him to begin the season with the Portland Sea Dogs in their starting rotation. Expect Tazawa to continue his mastery of changing speeds and mixing in his off-speed pitches frequently. Batters should be off-balance against him, especially in the first go around in the Eastern League. One of the main areas of development to watch for is how well his fastball comes around. If Tazawa can consistently turn the pitch over and improve his release point, he should have excellent results at this level given the polish on his secondary pitches. Tazawa should demonstrate excellent command and make batters earn their way on base. Another area of development to keep an eye on is how quickly he adjusts to the advanced competition he faces in AA. Tazawa is an intriguing prospect to follow given all the unknowns that surround him. 2009 will be a good indication of how far away he is from appearing in a Boston uniform. --

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