CPBL Foreign Players Updates Volume #302
Rakuten Monkeys News: Shunsuke Suzuki
On November 11, the Raktuen Monkeys announced the signing of 25-year-old Japanese right-hander Shunsuke Suzuki (鈴木駿輔) for the 2024 CPBL season.
According to the team, Suzuki is widely considered to be one of the top pitchers in the Japanese Independent League, and he is set to arrive in Taiwan in January.
Shunsuke Suzuki has been active in the Baseball Challenge League (Japanese Independent League) for the past five seasons. In 2023, he made 20 appearances, of which he started 16, posting a 2.73 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 115 innings.
Further Readings
Foreign players come and go. Therefore, we have compiled a tracker to monitor all foreign player signings for the 2024 CPBL season.
Has he ever pitched for an NPB organization?
Never, only indie ball in Japan. Me personally, I really don’t like this signing. He will be fine as a 5th backup pitcher / development pitcher, but if the Monkeys decide to put him as the 4th, it will be a huge mistake.
You definitely have to wonder about a Japanese pitcher that no NPB has ever signed to play in the NPB minor leagues, particularly if he has supposedly been an effective pitcher in the Challenge League.
Such a mistake. Like the reason why they lost the 2023 Taiwan Series was lack of foreign starter depth, and their solution is to signed him? Anyway, I am happy to be proven wrong, but it is just such a cheap move by the Monkeys organisation.
Per mlb trade rumors and Jon Heyman, MLB teams are interested in Eric Stout following his successful CPBL stint. I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that he is a lefty.