1. That was an incredible day of baseball yesterday.
2. As Matt Cerrone is all over the Mets meeting with young Japanese LHP Yusei Kikuchi today. The Mets are one of eight MLB teams Kikuchi will chat with, which represents over 25% of the league. Meanwhile, he’s also met with all 12 NPB (Japanese) teams as the amateur decides 1. which league to play in, and 2. which team he prefers. At this point, he and the Mets are just doing due diligence. If Kikuchi choses MLB, the story will become a lot more pressing.
When I was 18, I had to choose a college. I knew what country I was going to live in. Obviously, the choices facing Kikuchi are slightly more difficult.
3. In an item that might only interest me, the Savannah Sand Gnats have hired a new President, the successful and well-traveled John Katz. Katz, who has improved team finances and overseen stadium improvements across A-ball in Modesto, Stockton and Salem, was also my first boss in baseball, in Stockton, CA in 2004. The more time goes by, the more I realize I learned from Katz who has an unyielding focus on the bottom line and team profitability. The Gnats franchise is in good hands.
Kikuchi would an awesome signing. People go nuts over Chapman and his 102 mph fastball, yet hes quite raw at 21 years old, and has poor command… Kikuchi will be cheaper, hes younger, and if he can one day throw 96 mph consistently with good offspeed stuff and control, that’s plenty.
Though I suspect the Rangers end up signing him.