"Takahashi, 29 in February, pitched to a solid 3.04 ERA in 24 starts for the Lions this past season. He struck out only 14.3% of his opponents in 148 innings of work, however, and his 2024 season was limited to just 15 starts at the highest level of NPB play when he posted a 3.87 ERA in 81 1/3 innings of work last year and saw his velocity dip below his previous career norms."
"It's not unheard of for NPB players to see their strikeout rate tick upward when they reach the majors, which is less contact-oriented than NPB. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, for example, struck out 26.6% of his opponents in his final NPB season and has a career 29.1% strikeout rate in the majors to this point. With that being said, there were just 11 qualified starters in the majors this year who punched out less than 20% of their opponents."
Kona Takahashi was posted by the Seibu Lions for MLB clubs this offseason. He produced a 3.04 ERA in 24 starts this past season but had a low 14.3% strikeout rate across 148 innings. His 2024 campaign included 15 top-level starts with a 3.87 ERA in 81 1/3 innings and a noted velocity dip. Takahashi delivered dominant 2022-23 seasons with a combined 2.20 ERA and higher strikeout rates, peaking at 19.2% in 2023. Comparisons to Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who had similar NPB metrics but struggled in MLB, underscore translation risk. Some NPB pitchers increase strikeout rates after moving to MLB, though few qualified MLB starters with sub-20% K% posted ERAs under 4.00.
Read at MLB Trade Rumors
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