Todd ZolaJan 28, 2026, 08:45 AM ETCloseTodd Zola is contributing writer for fantasy baseball at ESPN, specializing in game theory and player analysis. Todd is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He won LABR and Tout Wars championships in 2016.Follow on XMultiple Authors
Despite Roki Sasaki and Hyeseong Kim both earning World Series Championship rings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in their rookie season, it was still a frustrating year for players joining MLB from Japan and Korea.
To be fair, Sasaki was injured for most of the summer, but he was a key contributor in the playoffs, coming out of the bullpen to collect three saves and two holds for the back-to-back champions. Sasaki is slated to return to the Dodgers rotation in 2026, and keep in mind that many scouts and talent evaluators considered Sasaki almost as good a prospect as Paul Skenes, with better pure stuff than Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Both players can handle both corner infield spots, though Okamoto is the better defender with a better chance to man the hot corner in the majors. Murakami is better suited for first base or designated hitter.
Admittedly, the projected playing time might be generous, as both are coming off seasons abbreviated by injury. Still, we’d estimate that Okamoto is the better player for points leagues, while Murakami’s steals give him the edge in category-based scoring. This assumes both meet their projections, which is a big assumption, especially for Murakami and his elevated strikeout rate.
Along with the cultural differences, players entering MLB from Japan and Korea need to learn a whole new set of pitchers. Also, keep in mind that there are fewer teams in NPB and KBO, so batters can learn pitchers easier than MLB hitters can. It has been reported that 19 of the 30 MLB teams use Trajekt technology, which is a robot designed to emulate the delivery and repertoire of every MLB pitcher. Hitters can stand in against the machine to help get familiarized with every opposing pitcher.
This could be especially useful for Murakami and Okamoto since, on average, MLB pitchers are 2-4 inches taller than their Japanese and Korean counterparts. Unfortunately, the identity of which specific teams use the technology isn’t public. However, the company is based out of Toronto, so keep an eye out for reports of Murakami using Trajekt, which could ease his transition.
ESPN contributor Derek Carty’s THE BAT projection system views the production of Murakami and Okamoto a bit differently.
The Astros will slot him into the middle of their rotation. While foreign hitters need to get accustomed to MLB pitchers, incoming hurlers often benefit from facing new batters — especially those with deceptive deliveries, like Imai. As such, the MLE translations may not be as harsh. Keep in mind, though that Imai took a big step forward last season.
My rule of thumb is to be more aggressive drafting Japanese pitchers who exhibit solid strikeout rates, since there are many examples of improvement in that area, at least until opposing batters get accustomed to their stuff. Factor in Imai’s deceptive mechanics and the unusual motion of his fastball, and he could outdo expectations.
Austin spent six seasons with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, compiling a .293/.377/.568 line over 403 games. He’s returning to MLB as a 34-year-old, likely to serve as the right-handed portion of a DH platoon alongside Moises Ballesteros, though if Ballesteros proves capable of handling left-handed pitching, Austin will be relegated to backup duty.
Weiss pitched five minor league seasons, including three at Triple-A, but never received the call to The Show. He played independent ball in 2023 before heading overseas to join KBO’s Hanwha Eagles. After showing improvement in 2024, Weiss broke through last season with a 2.87 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP. The 29-year-old righty will work as a starter in the spring, but the Astros have a deep rotation, and Weiss’ fastball and slider combo could play well as a reliever.
Imai is the only pitcher in this year’s overseas class worth drafting in a standard 10-team ESPN league. He is a 27-year-old right-hander coming off a career year for the Saitama Seibu Lions, establishing new personal bests in ERA, WHIP, K% and BB%. He throws a mid- to high-90s four-seam fastball, a mid-80s slider and a changeup that some classify as a splitter. Additionally, he throws from a sidearm angle, so his heater has more arm-side run than a typical “rising” fastball. This complements his slider, which runs to the glove side.
Ponce pitched for the Pittsburgh Pirates before heading overseas prior to the 2022 season. He spent three years in NPB, the first two with Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, then a season with Rakuten Golden Eagles before heading to KBO last season, pitching for the Hanwha Eagles. Ponce struggled in Japan but excelled in Korea, winning the KBO Triple Crown with 17 wins, a 1.89 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. The 32-year-old righty scored himself a three-year, $30 million contract, so the Blue Jays must trust that Ponce figured something out. Perhaps he did, but he was also facing the equivalent of Double-A hitters. So, while taking a flier is viable, temper your expectations.
Griffin toiled in the minors for eight seasons, collecting only eight innings in the majors before heading overseas to join the Yomiuri Giants, compiling a 2.50 ERA and 1.05 WHIP while improving in each of his three seasons. He only logged 78 innings last year, but he had a terrific 1.62 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. Griffin was slated to begin the season in the Nationals’ rotation, but after MacKenzie Gore was dealt to the Texas Rangers, the 30-year-old southpaw could be in line for the Opening Day nod. However, with a below-average fastball, Griffin is likely to struggle against the better MLB competition.
Anderson pitched in parts of five MLB seasons before heading overseas with a career 6.50 ERA and 1.58 WHIP. He spent 2022 and 2023 with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in NJP before heading to KBO, where he pitched the last two seasons for the SSG Landers. In between, he returned to the States but was unable to win a job with the Tigers in spring 2024. Anderson transitioned to a full-time starter in Korea, adding velocity, which helped him dominate the lesser competition. He’s now back with the Tigers, where he’ll get another look for the rotation, though he could end up serving as a swingman.
Todd ZolaJan 28, 2026, 08:45 AM ETCloseTodd Zola is contributing writer for fantasy baseball at ESPN, specializing in game theory and player analysis. Todd is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He won LABR and Tout Wars championships in 2016.Follow on XMultiple Authors
CloseTodd Zola is contributing writer for fantasy baseball at ESPN, specializing in game theory and player analysis. Todd is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame. He won LABR and Tout Wars championships in 2016.Follow on X
Munetaka Murakami, 3B, Chicago White Sox Kazuma Okamoto, 3B, Toronto Blue Jays