Dodgers and Giants Reportedly Among Teams Scouting Shohei Ohtani's Former Teammate in Japan
By Sean Facey
Shohei Ohtani has barely been in the MLB for over a season and his strong performance has already pushed scouts to start their search for the next Japanese star.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are reportedly among the teams scouting Ohtani's former teammate Kohei Arihara.
This report says that the Dodgers and Giants were among 5 different MLB teams at yesterdays game to watch Nippon Ham Fighters pitcher Kohei Arihara https://t.co/3XEnsCni31 #npb
— NPB on reddit (@NPB_Reddit) May 15, 2019
The Nippon Ham Fighters pitcher has drawn the attention of MLB scouts from five separate teams for his dazzling performance and ties to the MLB's two-way phenom.
The two played together from 2015 to 2017 as members of the Nippon Ham Fighters. Exclusively a pitcher, Arihara has shown good command of the strike zone recently, walking fewer than two batters per nine innings since the beginning of the 2018 season.
In seven appearances this year, Arihara has a 5-1 record, a 1.47 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 49 innings of work.
Kohei Arihara (5-1) threw four-hit ball over eight innings behind a strong defense on Tuesday as the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters opened a three-game series against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles with a 13-1 win.
— Iraim Torres (@itorres76miami) May 14, 2019
Two years Ohtani's senior, Arihara could make his way to the MLB just as his former teammate did if he continues to impress scouts with his performance over in Japan.