Why Drew Rucinski might be a better signing than Shintaro Fujinami
All aboard the Fuji Hype Train.
When the A’s sent out a press release alerting the local media about Shintaro Fujinami’s press conference a few weeks ago, I figured there might be a handful of people there to meet the Japanese right-hander. I forgot about the Japanese media.
More than 40 reporters and photographers filled a conference room at the A’s headquarters at Jack London Square, as the 28-year-old right-hander was flanked by manager Mark Kotsay, general manager David Forst and super agent Scott Boras.
“Call me Fuji, like Mt. Fuji,” he told reporters in English with a smile.
Since the start of the team’s spring training last week, when pitchers and catchers reported, Fujinami has been the most talked-about player in camp. There’s a lot of intrigue around the pitcher, who might not even crack the opening day starting rotation. The A’s signed Fujinami to a one-year, $3.25 million contract, so there’s nothing wrong with him being a reliever or a long man at that price tag.
Given his high profile in Japan, dating back to a high school rivalry with Shohei Ohtani, and mercurial career, the hubbub around Fuji is understandable. He was a four-time All-Star to begin his NPB career before losing his control the past few seasons and rebounding a bit in 2022. He tops out around 97 mph and totes a six-pitch mix – four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, splitter, slider, curveball, and cutter.
When asked to pick his favorite pitch from Fuji, Kotsay couldn’t.
“All of ‘em,” Kotsay said, via the A’s media relations. “I like the sweeping breaking ball, I like the split, life on the fastball. Just a matter of him being able to command his pitches. As is in pitching, right? It’s really about throwing strikes and pounding the zone. He has the arsenal to disrupt the timing of hitters and make pitches deceptive.”
When the A’s signed Drew Rucinski (ruh-CHIN-skee) to a one-year, $3 million contract in late December there was little fanfare. There was certainly no introductory press conference for the 34-year-old who spent the past four seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). By the end of the season, however, I think we’ll be talking about Rucinski’s impact more than that of Fujinami.
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What were you doing in the early-morning hours of May 5, 2020?
We were knee-deep in lockdown and thirsty for any live sports action. The KBO answered our prayers by bringing back baseball, as many in the United States stayed up late or woke up early to watch the NC Dinos play the Samsung Lions.
While most of us forgot about that game, it stayed with Forst. Rucinski made the start for the NC Dinos, tossing six scoreless innings, striking out six while allowing three hits and four walks in the first start of a major baseball game during the pandemic.
“To be honest, I didn’t stay up to watch that game, but excited to have him,” Kotsay said.
It’s not a stretch to say Rucinski has been the best pitcher in Korea the past four seasons. According to Justin Choi of FanGraphs, Rucinski since 2019 has led the league in innings pitched (732.2), K% (21.5), K-BB% (15.3), while ranking third in ERA (3.06) and FIP (3.50) and fourth in BB% (6.3). He has been remarkably consistent and reliable during those four seasons against decent KBO competition, tossing at least 177 innings and making at least 30 starts every season.
“If they’ve had success over there, obviously it builds confidence,” Kotsay said. “He pitched well over there. The numbers kind of represent that. I don’t think he’s an overpowering type pitcher. I think he’s a guy that can command the baseball utilizing off-speed pitches.”
Rucinski last played in MLB in 2018 as a middle reliever for the Miami Marlins, where he also got a cup of coffee in 2017. Before that, Rucinski made seven appearances (one start) in 2014-15 with the Los Angeles Angels. Since going to Korea, Rucinski has thrived as a starter while also increasing his velocity each season, as his average fastball was 92.5 mph last year, according to FanGraphs.
The velo uptick is nice, but it’s the control and reliability which makes Rucinski such an intriguing pickup. According to FanGraphs, Rucinski’s 2022 repertoire included a fastball (53.2%), cutter (25.6%), slider (16.1%) and occasional splitter (5.2%).
“He can paint,” Kotsay said. “Watching his ‘pens, he can definitely command the baseball. He looks like a strike-thrower that knows how to pitch. … Going through this spring training will give us an even better idea of his pitchability.”
The A’s have a history of identifying veteran pitchers who can still perform late in their careers – names like Brett Anderson, Bartolo Colón, Scott Kazmir and Rich Hill come to mind. Oakland also holds a $5 million club option for him next season, which could make him a two-year bargain.
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The A’s are hoping Fuji can drum up some interest this season, but I think it’s safe to temper expectations. No one is expecting him to make 30 starts this season, not even Fuji himself.
In a recent interview with MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos, Fujinami laid out a realistic expectation.
“I’d like to shoot for maybe 140 innings,” Fujinami told Gallegos through interpreter Issei Kamada. “If I can throw that number of innings, I would be really happy. I’m hoping for that.”
Though he was exclusively used as a starter to begin his career, Fujinami has been shuttling between the bullpen and the rotation the past few years while dealing with command issues. Fuji’s 107.2 innings across all levels last season were his highest since throwing 134 innings in 2018. He hasn’t exactly been a workhorse the past few years.
A similar hybrid role could be in store this season in Oakland, though Kotsay is staying optimistic about his workload. The skipper stopped short of putting a number on expected innings from Fuji.
“It’s too early to kind of map it out, too many variables in front of us,” Kotsay said at the start of camp. “We’re aware of his usage in Japan. … In terms of how we’re gonna use him, we do see him as a starting pitcher. But it’s too far in advance to put a scope on it.”
As long as they’re healthy, you have to figure that Paul Blackburn and James Kaprielian are locks for the rotation. A few days out from Saturday’s Cactus League opener, my guess is Rucinski will slot in as the No. 3 guy and could have the most innings pitched by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, I think Fujinami will have to fend off young talented southpaws Ken Waldichuk and Kyle Muller for one of the final two spots. Not to mention Adrián Martínez, JP Sears and Adam Oller are knocking on the door. It’s worth noting Kotsay told reporters last week that a six-man rotation isn’t out of the question.
“We’d definitely take it into consideration into how we’re gonna use Fuji,” Kotsay said. “There’s variables to the season, the schedule. But all things are kind of on the table at this point.”
Between performance and health, a lot will change between now and Opening Day. The biggest thing for Fujinami is to prove that he can control his pitches against big-league hitting. He could show some major flashes this season, but his durability will be tested. I suspect that Rucinski will be a solid but unspectacular innings eater who will be able to navigate lineups a little easier than Fuji, but we’ll have to see how it all plays out.
