The Nationals reached agreement with Japanese lefthander Shinnosuke Ogasawara on Friday. Financial details of the two-year contract haven’t been released, but Ogasawara’s signing is the first of it kind for the Nationals organization. Ogasawara is Washington’s first signing of a player out of Asia in team history.
The Chunichi Dragons posted the 27-year-old lefty on Dec. 10. Teams have a 45-day negotiating window with players posted by NPB clubs, and Ogasawara signed on the final day of that window. A former standout from the 2015 Summer Koshien, Ogasawara was a first-round pick of Chunichi and debuted at 18 years old.
Ogasawara is a control over stuff pitcher with an 89-91 mph fastball. Only his changeup grades as a major league average pitch at present, leading to some questions around how his performance will translate. He lacks feel for spin, relying primarily on his fastball and changeup to induce weak contact. Ogasawara will likely slide into the backend of the Nationals rotation in 2025.
Baseball America subscribers can found a full scouting report here.
The Washington Nationals have made a significant move in their pitching rotation, signing Japanese pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara to a multi-year contract. Ogasawara, known for his impressive fastball and devastating off-speed pitches, is expected to make an immediate impact on the Nationals’ pitching staff.
The 27-year-old right-hander has garnered attention from MLB scouts with his dominant performances in the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan. With a career ERA of 2.75 and an impressive strikeout-to-walk ratio, Ogasawara has proven himself to be a top-tier talent on the mound.
The Nationals are thrilled to add Ogasawara to their roster, as they believe he has the potential to be a key contributor in their quest for a championship. With his combination of power and finesse, Ogasawara is sure to be a valuable asset for the team.
Fans can expect to see Ogasawara take the mound for the Nationals in the upcoming season, as he looks to make his mark in Major League Baseball. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting signing and the impact Ogasawara will have on the Nationals’ pitching staff.
\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”thumbnail_url”:null,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi wrote of Ogasawara in November:\n\n“An NPB All-Star as recently as 2023, Ogasawara has traveled to the U.S. before and is well prepared for the off-field adjustment of playing in North America. He’s also shown a good aptitude for learning new approaches to pitching and could generate more swings and misses by pitching effectively up in the zone.”\n\nOgasawara was a first-round pick out of Tokai University Sagami High School in the 2015 NPB Draft and debuted at age 18. Over his nine-year career with the Dragons, he went 54–72 with a 3.67 ERA in 190 games. Across 1,098 frames, he recorded 863 strikeouts to 361 walks.\n\nIn a corresponding move, the Nats designated southpaw reliever Joe La Sorsa for assignment.”,”type”:”text”}],”relativeSiteUrl”:”/news/shinnosuke-ogasawara-contract-with-nationals”,”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary”:”In the latest signing in a busy international free-agent market, the Nationals have agreed to a two-year deal with left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara.\nOgasawara, 27, was posted by the Chunichi Dragons in December. 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33 minutes ago
In the latest signing in a busy international free-agent market, the Nationals have agreed to a two-year deal with left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara.
Ogasawara, 27, was posted by the Chunichi Dragons in December. Friday was the last day of his posting window to sign with a Major League team for the 2025 season.
Ogasawara has been pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball since 2016. Last season, he went 5-11 with a 3.12 ERA in 144 1/3 innings spread across 24 games. His walk rate improved from 2.3 to 1.4 walks per nine innings, but his strikeout rate also dropped from 7.5 to 5.1 from season to season.
MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi wrote of Ogasawara in November:
“An NPB All-Star as recently as 2023, Ogasawara has traveled to the U.S. before and is well prepared for the off-field adjustment of playing in North America. He’s also shown a good aptitude for learning new approaches to pitching and could generate more swings and misses by pitching effectively up in the zone.”
Ogasawara was a first-round pick out of Tokai University Sagami High School in the 2015 NPB Draft and debuted at age 18. Over his nine-year career with the Dragons, he went 54–72 with a 3.67 ERA in 190 games. Across 1,098 frames, he recorded 863 strikeouts to 361 walks.
In a corresponding move, the Nats designated southpaw reliever Joe La Sorsa for assignment.
Breaking News: Shinnosuke Ogasawara Signs Contract with Washington Nationals
In a surprising move, Japanese baseball star Shinnosuke Ogasawara has officially signed a contract with the Washington Nationals. The deal, reportedly worth $30 million over three years, marks a major milestone for Ogasawara as he becomes the first Japanese player to join the Nationals roster.
Ogasawara, known for his powerful hitting and strong defensive skills, has been a standout player in the Japanese league for years. The 28-year-old outfielder is expected to bring a new level of talent and excitement to the Nationals lineup.
Fans are already buzzing with anticipation for Ogasawara’s debut in the MLB, with many predicting that he will make a significant impact on the team’s performance. Stay tuned for more updates as Ogasawara prepares to take the field in his new Nationals uniform. #ShinnosukeOgasawara #WashingtonNationals #MLBSigning
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Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Nationals, MLB contract, Japanese baseball player, Washington Nationals, Ogasawara signing, baseball news, player contracts
The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with left-handed pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara on a two-year contract and designated left-handed pitcher Joe La Sorsa for assignment on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Ogasawara, 27, joins the Nationals after he pitched to a 3.12 ERA in 24 games in 2024 for the Chunichi Dragons of the the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization. He walked just 22 batters and allowed just nine home runs in 144.1 innings of work.
An NPB All-Star in 2023, the native of Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan pitched in nine seasons for Chunichi after he was selected in the first round of the 2015 NPB Draft out of Tokai University Sagami High School. He went 54–72 with a 3.67 ERA, 863 strikeouts and just 361 walks in 1098.0 innings (190 games) for the Dragons after he made his debut in 2016 as an 18-year-old.
Ogasawara represented Japan in the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup, helping his team to a second place finish. He went 1–0 without allowing an earned run and struck out 11 in 8.0 innings of work.
The Washington Nationals have announced that they have agreed to terms with Japanese pitching prospect Shinnosuke Ogasawara. The 20-year-old right-hander is considered one of the top young talents in Japan, and the Nationals are excited to add him to their organization.
Ogasawara is known for his electric fastball and devastating slider, and he has impressed scouts with his poise and maturity on the mound. He has been pitching professionally in Japan since he was 18, and he has already shown that he has the potential to be a future star in Major League Baseball.
“We are thrilled to add Shinnosuke to our organization,” said Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo. “He has all the tools to be a successful pitcher at the highest level, and we believe he has a bright future ahead of him. We can’t wait to see him in a Nationals uniform.”
Ogasawara is expected to begin his professional career in the Nationals’ minor league system, where he will have the opportunity to develop his skills and continue to grow as a pitcher. Fans can look forward to seeing him on the mound in the coming years as he works his way towards the big leagues.
Stay tuned for more updates on Shinnosuke Ogasawara and the Washington Nationals as the 2025 season approaches. #NatsNation #WelcomeShinnosuke
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Washington Nationals, Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Nationals Communications, MLB, baseball, player signing, contract agreement, Japanese player, Washington Nationals news, sports news, baseball updates, January 2025
With his posting window expiring today, Japanese lefty Shinnosuke Ogasawara has found a deal, signing a two-year contract with the Washington Nationals. The financial particulars for the deal aren’t out just yet, and even when they are, it’ll be challenging to evaluate the “value” of the signing (he’s a tough one to project in MLB). The Cubs were reportedly among the teams interested in Ogasawara at some point, though we never knew just how serious that interest was.
Assuming Ogasawara works as a starting pitcher for the Nationals, it’s possible the Cubs wouldn’t have been his preferred landing spot anyway, because they may not add another true starting pitcher.
The Washington Nationals have officially signed Japanese outfielder Shinnosuke Ogasawara to a multi-year contract. Ogasawara, known for his speed, power, and defensive skills, is expected to make an immediate impact on the Nationals’ roster.
The 27-year-old Ogasawara has been playing professionally in Japan for the past few years, where he has consistently put up impressive numbers. In 2021, he hit .300 with 25 home runs and 30 stolen bases, showcasing his versatility as a player.
The Nationals are thrilled to add Ogasawara to their lineup, as they believe he has the potential to be a game-changer in the MLB. With his combination of speed, power, and defensive prowess, Ogasawara is sure to be a valuable asset to the team as they push for a playoff spot in the upcoming season.
Fans are excited to see what Ogasawara can bring to the Nationals and are looking forward to watching him play in the MLB for the first time. Stay tuned for more updates on Ogasawara’s journey with the Washington Nationals.
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Shinnosuke Ogasawara, Washington Nationals, MLB, Japanese baseball player, signing news, baseball transfer, Washington Nationals news, Shinnosuke Ogasawara contract, Japanese player in MLB
The Nationals announced that they have signed left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara to a two-year deal. Financial details of the pact for the WME Baseball client have not been publicly reported yet. Fellow lefty Joe La Sorsa has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Ogasawara, 27, pitched in part of nine seasons for the Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He threw 951 1/3 innings, allowing 3.62 earned runs per nine. He struck out 18.9% of batters faced while giving out walks at a 7.7% clip.
Despite fairly decent run prevention, there are also some concerning elements in Ogasawara’s profile. His strikeout rate in Japan is a bit below what is expecting of hurlers in North America these days, as the league average has been in the 22-23% range in recent seasons. He’s also a bit undersized, listed at 5’11” and 183 pounds. That size isn’t necessarily a disqualification, as it actually makes him larger than Shota Imanaga, who is 5’10” and 175. Imanaga proved himself capable of handling MLB hitters in 2024 but he also had a 25% strikeout rate in his NPB career before crossing, notably higher than Ogasawara.
It’s also a metric that has wavered for Ogasawara. He got his rate of punchouts as high as 24% in 2022, but then it dropped to 20.1% the year after and then fell way down to 13.6% in the most recent season. That big drop in strikeouts did coincide with a tiny walk rate of 3.7% and he still managed to post a 3.12 ERA, but it does lead to questions as to how his stuff will play in his new environment.
More to come.
The Washington Nationals have made a major move by signing Japanese outfielder Shinnosuke Ogasawara to a multi-year deal. Ogasawara, known for his speed and defensive prowess, is expected to make an immediate impact for the Nationals in the upcoming season. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting signing! #MLBTradeRumors #Nationals #ShinnosukeOgasawara
