Kazuhito Tadano

After a promising 2003 campaign in the minors, mainly with Double-A Akron, Tadano showed glimpses of his potential along with a few bumps in the road in his rookie season. He has a wind-up compared to Hideo Nomo and an always moving fastball, but he's trapped between roles with the Tribe right now. He had a great K/BB ratio, but his hit rate was a little too high. There's a chance that the Indians could try to convert him into a closer in the coming years.

Tadano made it all the way through Cleveland's system in 2003 (A-ball to Triple-A) and will be a sleeper come spring. His motion is slightly unconventional in that he raises both arms over his head a la Hideo Nomo, and he has an odd release point. The combination gives his 92-93 mph fastball significant movement and he’s able to bore it into hitters. Unlike Nomo, he works quickly which converts well to the North American game.

A Japanese collegiate pitcher, Tadano was thought to be going to Yokohama, and was considered by many scouts to have a shot at the leagues ROY. Unfortunately, he was passed over in the draft because a shoulder injury. Despite the injury in his final year, he finished his college career 5th all-time in Japanese collegiate strikeouts. He signed with the Indians in March of 2003. His motion is slightly unconventional in that he raises both arms over his head ala Hideo Nomo, and he has an odd release point. The combination gives his 92-93 mph fastball significant movement and he’s able to bore it into hitters. Unlike Nomo he works quickly which coverts well to the North American game. At age 22, he’ll begin his professional career in A-ball. Old for that level of play, he needs to move through the ranks quickly to prove his abilities. Slight at 5’10 and 165 pounds, there are question marks surrounding his recent shoulder injury and whether his odd motion and release point can translate to the big leagues. We should know about his major league prospects by the end of 2003.