Masanori Murakami, the first Japanese man to play in the majors (with the San Francisco Giants in 1964-65) and an analyst for NHK, would like to see Otani get some more seasoning before following the path he took nearly 50 years ago. “He certainly has the natural talent,” said Murakami. “He has great speed, but I would like to see him refine his control more. He’s pitching very well now. His fastball and curve are his best pitches.”
A Japanese MLB scout, who did not wish to be identified, credits Otani with nearly singlehandedly keeping the Fighters in the playoff race this season. The scout cites Otani’s improved command and stamina as keys to the numbers he is achieving as a pitcher. “Otani’s been awesome. He’s a monster. The real deal,” he said. “The Fighters finished with a 42-40 record and were in third place at the All-Star break. I don’t think they could have done it without Otani.”
The Japanese scout points out that the criticism that Otani initially faced over his original plan for double duty has dissipated with his success. “Last year a lot of former players here were saying that they didn’t like Otani doing the double duties and he should focus on his pitching,” the scout noted. “But since he’s done so well in both this year, it seems like the volume of that criticism has decreased.”