by Jason Cruz
Northwest Asia Weekly
Welcome to another version of layup drills. In this month’s column, we’ll take a look at MLB’s start, its staggeringly perfect winning streak, and some notable picks in the NFL draft.
Suzuki, Kwan season starts
The season started about a week late due to a labor dispute between owners and players. However, the competition started in early April. Shohei Ohtani remains one of baseball’s biggest names. The Anaheim Angels pitcher and outfielder continues to wow with his ability to lead the game and be part of the team’s pitching rotation. As of early May, the Angels have been one of the surprise teams of the season, leading the AL West.
In addition to Otani, the Japanese sensation Suzuki Seiya also came as advertised. The former Japanese professional baseball player from Japan is off to a hot start for the Chicago Cubs. Suzuki, who the Seattle Mariners proposed to them this year, decided to join the Cubs on a five-year, $85 million contract.
The 27-year-old outfielder is making an impact for the club, winning NL Rookie of the Week and April NL Rookie of the Week for his bat in April.
Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan is off to a surprising start to the season. Kwan is of Chinese descent and played college baseball at Oregon State before joining the Guards. The 24-year-old California native has burst onto the scene this season. Kwan entered the Guardians roster this season and recorded his first batting as a major leaguer on Opening Day. He then became the sixth player since at least 1901 to have five hits in his first three major league games. He also became the first player since at least 1901 to reach the base 15 times safely in his first four games.
The achievement of breaking the first week of a career in the major leagues is amazing. In his 19 games, Kwan completed 26 swings and didn’t miss a single one. As of April 11, he had no swings and no turnovers in batting attempts. He hasn’t struck out since the AAA game on September 26, 2021.
While his excellent hitting has slowed over the past few weeks, his major league career is still off to a good start. His most recent effort was a game-winning single against the San Diego Padres.
Due to his efforts, Guan received the honor of AL Rookie of the Month.
Japanese pitcher’s perfect winning streak ends
Maybe another Japanese baseball player is coming from Japan soon. Last month, Chiba Rakuten Marine pitcher Ruki Sasaki pitched a perfect 17 innings in a row (without giving up hits, walks or hitters). Sasaki pitched a perfect game on April 10 for the first time in 28 years in Japanese baseball. He then added eight innings in his next start on April 17. He was eliminated after throwing 102 pitches. However, his perfect 17-inning streak ended in his next start as he gave up a hit on a first-inning comeback.
In a perfect 17 innings, Sasaki had 33 strikeouts against 51 batters. The 20-year-old right-handed pitcher uses 100-mph fastballs and split-finger fastballs to throw batters off balance.
Despite his recent success, Sasaki doesn’t plan to join Major League Baseball anytime soon. His father was killed in the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and subsequent meltdowns of three nuclear reactors in Iwate prefecture in northeastern Japan. While he has no immediate plans to relocate, one would think that Sasaki’s overwhelming talent could lure him to MLB in the future.
Luke Wattenberg and Kyle Hamilton selected
The NFL draft takes place in late April and features several notable Asian-American picks.
The first is Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. Hamilton was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the 14th overall pick in the first round. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Hamilton is the son of a former Greek professional basketball player whose mother is of Korean descent. Born in Greece, he lived briefly in Russia before moving to the Atlanta, Georgia area. The athletic Hamilton started 13 games for the Irish as a freshman. In 2021, he earned All-American honors for his outstanding performance.
Luke Wattenberg of the University of Washington (UW) was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Huskies offensive lineman Wattenberg will have a chance to protect former Seahawks quarterback and current Broncos signal caller Russell Wilson. Wattenberg is of Korean and Norwegian ancestry among other races.
Wattenberg played guard and center at the University of Washington, and his versatility may serve him well in Denver.
“It’s definitely a fantastic feeling,” Wattenberg told reporters after being drafted by the Broncos. “It’s been on my mind for a long time, but it’s finally here and it’s crazy.
Jason is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
