Major League Baseball did not allow it at the end, Aoyagi returned from the U.S. after four months, humiliated ERA 7.22 in the minors

Jul 26, 2025

Major League Baseball did not allow it at the end, Aoyagi returned from the U.S. after four months, humiliated ERA 7.22 in the minors
Aoyagi, a two-time Central League champion, will stay in the minor leagues and return to Japan. He was released this year with a 7-point ERA in the minor leagues under Philadelphia. REUTERS Yonhap News



Major League Baseball did not allow it at the end, Aoyagi returned from the U.S. after four months, humiliated ERA 7.22 in the minors
Sidearm pitcher Aoyagi was a Hanshin ace who rose to the top of the game from 2021 to 2022. Aoyagi's pitching appearance in the 2023 Japan Series. Photo Source = Hanshin Tigers SNS
Japanese pitchers show their presence in the Major League, but they are some of the highest-level players. Last week, right-hander Shintaro Fujinami, 31, wore a Yokohama BayStars uniform, and another will return to Japan. Syedam Aoyagi Yo (32), a former Japanese professional baseball champion, decided to return after failing to endure a season in the United States. Japanese sports newspapers, including Daily Sports, reported on the 25th that Yakult Swallows will negotiate with Aoyagi to join the team.

Fujinami and Aoyagi once served as main starting pitchers for the Hanshin Tigers. At a time when it was on a downward trend, it crossed into the United States in search of a new path. Major League Baseball was not easy. He was released after trying to get promoted from the minor leagues. I gave up trying again and decided to go to Japan.

He was not called by Hanshin, his original team, so he wore a uniform for a rival team in the Central League. Hanshin, the overwhelming first-place player by 9.5 games, had a team ERA of 1.99 in the first half. He was the only team among the 12 teams in both leagues to maintain the one-point ERA range. He was not interested in recruiting outside because he built a strong mound from starting to bullpen and finishing. If Fujinami and Aoyagi had a 'game changer' level of power, the story would have been different.




Major League Baseball did not allow it at the end, Aoyagi returned from the U.S. after four months, humiliated ERA 7.22 in the minors
After joining Yokohama last week. This season, he tried to promote to the Major League from the Mygerig under the new season, but failed. He decided to return to Japan after contemplating another try in the U.S. Photo capture = Yokohama BayStars SNS
Aoyagi joined Hanshin in 2016 and recorded a total of '61 wins'. In 2021-2022, he posted '13 wins' for the second consecutive year and topped the Central League with multiple wins. In 2022, he won three gold medals including his ERA and winning percentage. He started the opening game for two consecutive years from 2023 to 2024, but went downhill. He pitched in 12 games last year and won only two games (3 losses, 3.69 ERA).

He signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies through the posting system in January. He participated in the Major League camp as an invited player, threw four games, and fell to the minor leagues. He also struggled in the minor leagues. He played in 19 Triple-A games and lost one game with a 7.45 ERA. The slump continued in Double A, and he was released as a free agent on the 23rd. He played in a total of 23 games in the minor leagues, winning 1-3 - 7.22 ERA.

When the aoyagi was released, Yakult moved. In an interview with Japanese media, a Yakult club official said, "We have started an investigation for recruitment. We don't have much time." He said he would complete the recruitment process by July 31, the deadline for player registration.




Yakult is going to be the worst this season. In the first half, he won 28 games, drew 5 and lost 50 games, and had a winning rate of 0.359. He was last in the Central League and recorded the lowest winning rate in both leagues. 4번 타자 무라카미
Major League Baseball did not allow it at the end, Aoyagi returned from the U.S. after four months, humiliated ERA 7.22 in the minors
Arihara won three games in 15 major league games for Texas. It signed a contract with SoftBank in 2023 for 3-1.5 billion yen. Photo Source = SoftBank Hawks SNS
Munetaka played only one game due to injury. He collapsed to the mound and fell to the floor. Team ERA 3.56 is last in the Central League. In order to achieve a successful finish in the last year of coach Takatsu Shingo's contract, reinforcement of the mound is essential.

Earlier, Kohei Arihara (33) returned to Japan in 2023 and Naoyuki Uwasa (31) returned to Japan after experiencing the major leagues slightly this year. The two started with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, went through the U.S. and wore Softbank uniforms. Arihara pitched in 15 games for the Texas Rangers in 2021-2022 and two for the Boston Red Sox in 2024.

Wausawa was able to go to the U.S. through the posting system due to the consideration of the Nippon Ham team. When I returned after a year, I chose SoftBank and was criticized for being a traitor. Some even argued that related regulations should be changed.




Even if he returns from the U.S. after failing, he has nothing to lose from the player's point of view. Arihara, who won '3 wins' for two years in the Major League, signed a contract with Softbank '3 years-1.5 billion yen'. He won the most games in five years last year. Wausa, who threw '2 games' in the Major League, also received good treatment. '4년-12억엔'에 사인했
Uwasawa pitched in two major league games in Boston last year. Last winter, he wore a Softbank uniform, not his old team Nippon Ham. Photo Source = Naoyuki Uwasawa SNS
C. The terms and conditions of the contract that Nippon Ham cannot offer. Wausawa has a 6-6 record with a 3.39 ERA in 14 games.





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.