Spring training is in full force with Opening Day scheduled for March 27 on the road against the Washington Nationals. The Philadelphia Phillies’ roster is all but set with a few players battling for the final spots.
The Phillies took a major hit to the bullpen, losing All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman and high-leverage right-hander Carlos Estévez in free agency. The organization added former Toronto Blue Jays two-time All-Star closer Jordan Romano and veteran swingman Joe Ross on one-year deals.
With the starting rotation set heading into the 2025 season, multiple pitchers are battling to earn a spot in the Phillies’ bullpen. One of those pitchers is Koyo Aoyagi, a 31-year-old Japanese player who the Phillies signed to a minor league deal this offseason.
It sure sounds like Koyo Aoyagi doesn’t have a shot at Phillies’ Opening Day roster
The Phillies have been trying to get into the Japanese market for years, hoping to attract some of the elite talent from the foreign country. Notable players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki had little to no interest in joining the Phillies despite the Phillies’ interest in them. The organization hopes the Aoyagi signing is a step in the right direction.
Along with other MLB.com beat writers, Todd Zolecki picked his dark horse candidate to make the Opening Day roster. He chose Aoyagi as the Phillies’ candidate.
Although he was signed to a minor league contract, the Phillies invited Aoyagi to big league camp for spring training. He’s a right-hander who throws sidearm, a unique style that attracted the Phillies.
Aoyagi spent nine seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, owning a 61-47 record and 3.08 ERA across 154 games as a starter and reliever. He owns an 82-61 record and 3.00 ERA during his Japanese career, minor leagues included.
Aoyagi spent his entire career with the Hanshin Tigers and was a three-time All-Star, with his most recent selection in 2022. He led the Japan Central League in wins twice and ERA once. Aoyagi was a part of the 2023 Japan Series championship team, similar to the World Series, and pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings as the Game 7 starter. He was also on Japan’s gold medal-winning team during the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
Aoyagi has a four-pitch arsenal, including a fastball, slider, changeup and cutter. He’s a ground ball pitcher who doesn’t record many strikeouts. Aoyagi’s career strikeouts per nine innings pitched in the NPB is 6.5.
Despite selecting Aoyagi as a dark horse to make the team out of camp, Zolecki also states, "He is almost certainly going to open the season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but the Phils think he might eventually help them at some point."
The Japanese star faces an uphill battle to make the Phillies’ Opening Day roster. Aoyagi has no MLB experience and hasn’t appeared in a spring training game for the Phillies through the first four games. Other bullpen candidates such as Nabil Crismatt and John McMillon have impressed the staff early on.
The Phillies believe Aoyagi will help the team at some point, but he’s likely to begin the season in Triple-A. If he pitches for the Phillies this season, Aoyagi will be the third Japanese player in team history and the first who signed directly from Japan.
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