Chicago Cubs showing plenty of interest in Japan this winter

While news abounds at the possibility of outfielder about Chicago rumors Shogo Akiyama, a new star is wanting to join Major League Baseball in 2020, and it is said the Chicago Cubs have expressed some level of interest on his availability.

In the last two weeks, reports have surfaced of two Japanese baseball stars wishing for the opportunity to make their presence felt in MLB this next season. Seibu Lions outfielder Shogo Akiyama was the first of the pair. Now, its the star pitcher of the SK Wyverns, Kwang-Hyun Kim.

For Cubs fans, it should be no surprise to hear the clubs’ intrigue with the newest batch of Japanese baseball stars. In 2007 it was Kosuke Fukudome, the first Japanese player for the franchise and a prospective superstar who unfortunately never quite lived up to the hype.

In 2013 it was a relief pitcher by the name of Kyuji Fujikawa. Fujikawa failed to live up to the hype much worse than Fukudome, and his Cubs career ended after a total of 26 2/3 innings in two seasons. In 2014 another pitcher emerged in Tsuyoshi Wada, who faired well with a career 3.36 ERA over 20 starts. Now, its Kim. While the level of interest remains to be seen, let’s dive into Kim’s Japanese career to sift through what Kim can bring to the Cubs.

Chicago Cubs Rumors: A star on the other side of the world

Kim began his professional baseball career when he was just 18 years old. In his rookie season, Kim was already close to a decade younger than that of the average player in the Korean Baseball Organization. As a teenager, Kim joined the SK Wyverns.

During his inaugural year in the KBO, Kim faired seemingly well. He appeared in 20 games while making 13 starts. In that span of 77 innings, Kim finished with a 3.62 ERA and 52 strikeouts. It was the start of a pitching star.

In each of his next three seasons, Kim finished with ERA’s of 2.39, 2.80, and 2.37, respectively. Over two of those seasons, in 2008 and 2010, Kim finished with 150+ strikeouts, including a career-high of 183 in 2010 as a 21-year-old.

The 2011 and 2012 seasons were rough ones for Kim. His ERA ballooned out of control, and everything seemed to fall apart. The following season was the same story. Kim finished the year with a 4.47 ERA in 22 starts. Kim’s strikeouts bounced back in a big way. However, it was a problematic direction in which to travel.