Stewart, who lost his place in Atlanta, appeared to be joining East Florida State Short-Term University. But this is where Softbank Hawks appeared. Softbank began to be interested in recruiting Stewart and offered a six-year, $7 million contract. It is never a small amount, but Stewart was unable to make an easy decision as the contract period was at stake, but after inspecting Softbank's first and second-tier facilities, he decided to go to Japan.
Stewart, who was attractive in the mid-to-late 150km fastball from 198cm tall when he was an amateur, wore a Softbank uniform with a lot of expectations, but it was not easy to see him after wearing a professional uniform. This was because Stewart played 15 games in the second division in his first season in Japan and was sluggish with three wins, seven losses and a 4.16 ERA. 토토사이트
In his second year of joining the team, Stewart played 12 games in the second division and made his first appearance in the first division with 6 wins, 1 loss, and 1.84 ERA, but his performance was significantly sluggish with 2 losses and 6.08. As time passed without making any significant achievements, Stewart took another chance this year. And 16 games after his debut in the first division, he enjoyed the impression of his "first win."
Stewart started the game with a 159km fastball in the first inning on the 26th, but gave the first run without the help of defense. However, he continued his solid pitching in the third inning after allowing no runs with two strikeouts in the second inning. Stewart walked in the fourth inning and gave up one hit each in the fifth and sixth innings, but he tied up the Pacific League's No. 1 Orix lineup and enjoyed his first win in his debut with one run in six innings (non-earned).
According to Japan's "Tokyo Sports," scouts from five major league clubs visited Kyocera Dome on the 26th to watch Stewart's pitch. Although the results left in Japan are not great, it is clear why big league scouts are interested. This is because his talent is so clear that he marked 160km on the 26th, and his pitching has also improved noticeably recently.
"Stuart is starting to get on track," Tokyo Sports said. It marked its long-awaited first victory five years after entering Japan. "The highest speed is 160km, and the first round of the U.S. rookie draft is showing rapid growth that foreshadows the achievement of innovative projects," he said. "The ERA is 1.57 in five games this season," pointing to Stewart's performance.
The media then said, "After Softbank escaped its 12th consecutive loss in 54 years, it threw 102 pitches in a game where consecutive wins were important, and five major league clubs inspected Stewart," adding, "We proudly won the match against Hiroya Miyagi of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) Japanese national team." "The amount of reports obtained by the scout team would have been sufficient," he said.
Stewart did not take the Japanese stage through the rookie draft, so he can choose to return to the U.S. through his FA (free agent) qualification at the end of the 2024 season. Stewart also has a dream of returning to the big leagues.
Softbank coach Kazumi Saito, who won two Sawamura awards during his active career, said, "I know I have the power to throw long innings. But I want to raise it preciously without forcing it. "I know it's not just a talent to stay in Japan," he said, adding, "I'm not good at playing in Japan, but I'll be able to play well even if I return to the Major League."
In Japan, many major leaguers are born every year. This season alone, Senga Kodai (New York Mets), Yoshida Masataka (Boston Red Sox), and Fujinami Shintaro (Baltimore Orioles) made a soft landing on the big league stage. At the end of the 2023 season, other big leaguers such as Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Orix Buffaloes) and Shota Imanaga (Yokohama DeNA BayStars) are expected to be born. And after the 2024 season, a player from Japan, who is not Japanese, but has no experience in the U.S. professional stage, may appear on the Major League stage.
