Blue Jays sign electric 23-year-old Japanese pitching prospect touching 97 mph
This could be a significant move for future seasons.
Blue Jays sign electric 23-year-old Japanese pitching prospect touching 97 mph originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Toronto Blue Jays are making underrated behind-the-scenes moves.
According to Francys Romero, the AL East club signed a Japanese pitching prospect on Monday. "Source: Japanese right-hander Tomoya Kinjo is in agreement with the Toronto Blue Jays for the current international signing period, pending a physical," Romero reported on X . "Kinjo, 23, reached 97 mph with his fastball and also features a changeup, curveball, and sinker.
" Kinjo's ability to touch 97 mph with his fastball is probably what excites the Blue Jays. At just 23, he will now have the opportunity to work with the pitching staff and further develop his arsenal. MORE: Jo Adell robbed 3 home runs in the same game "This is the kind of move that looks small on the surface but can matter later if the arm plays the way Toronto believes it can," Victor William of Blue Jays Insider wrote Monday .
The current international signing period runs until Dec. 15, allowing Major League organizations to reach agreements with teenagers and or amateurs. If Kinjo can progress through the minors and show that he's got what it takes to get big league hitters out, it may not be long before Blue Jays fans see him at the Rogers Centre.