What level should Japanese league be considered?

[B. Gizzle]

Just curious, because as I was looking at the guy the LA Dodgers signed, his stats appear to be AA, but I think the Japanese league is a bit better than that, I mean, it's either AAA or AAA+ seeing as how the stars emerge.

[SFSteveG]

I don't know much (well nothing really) but plenty of stars come straight out of AAA ball in the MLB. I never hear of guys going to Japan who are pretty good here and becoming superstars there. In fact i hear a little about guys going there to help themselves develop. Kinda like an extension of the winter leagues.

But like I said, I don't know so i could be WAY off. I'm curious too, just posting my thoughts.

[B. Gizzle]

Originally posted by SFSteveG
I don't know much (well nothing really) but plenty of stars come straight out of AAA ball in the MLB. I never hear of guys going to Japan who are pretty good here and becoming superstars there. In fact i hear a little about guys going there to help themselves develop. Kinda like an extension of the winter leagues.

But like I said, I don't know so i could be WAY off. I'm curious too, just posting my thoughts. guys who went over and came back as Superstars include Cecil Fielder and Alfonso Soriano

[SFSteveG]

I knew about Soriano but not Fielder. So is it like a 4A team or are they equal or better than MLB teams?

[Steiny]

I'd say AAA level. While Fielder and Soriano did improve their games by going to Japan, most of those who go there are simply trying to hang on a little longer (Frank White, Leron Lee). While seen as 'stars' over there, they probably wouldn't make a major league roster here.

[B. Gizzle]

but it's not just about the people who go there, there's also the guys who come over as well. But I'd say a bit above AAA is probablly accurate.

[Paul Drye]

There's an in-depth article about the subject at Baseball Prospectus

http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=1330

At one point it says that the Japanese leagues are notably tougher than AAA, so calling them a 4A league is about right.

[zhongv1979]

I remember baseball prospectus once made an analysis about the level of Japanese League. The result says it's 94~95% level as the current two major leagues. It's much better than AAA.

Historical Japanese League players should be labelled in year-by-year data as [NPB] as Japanese Leagues were known. Also these players should be added in historical year as free agents rather than in amateur draft.

[BigBubba]

A lot of players join leagues in the winter. I know some of the Twins play in their home country of south america. I would consider Japan the NFL Europe of the MLB. People play there some from the US but other then that unless you live in Japan who cares.

[Clay Dreslough]

I'm hoping to add the Japanese leagues next year, as a place Free Agents can go, and a place you draft players from.

From what I've read, I'd put them about halfway between AAA and MLB, perhaps a bit closer to AAA.

Clay

[SFSteveG]

That article was great, thanks for bringing it up.

Clay, that's fricken' AWESOME. I've wanted this for a while but just thought it would be way too much work. Just as a farce I'd be interested in adding a few Japanese cities to the game and puting a team there. Obviously ignoring the flight times how would those cities shape up? Would it be feasable to use them or are they too different so as to make them either too good or too horible?

[BoSoxFan87]

Originally posted by Clay Dreslough
I'm hoping to add the Japanese leagues next year, as a place Free Agents can go, and a place you draft players from.

From what I've read, I'd put them about halfway between AAA and MLB, perhaps a bit closer to AAA.

Clay

That's awesome, but hopefully they won't be too prominent. This year the only 2 significant guys I can think of off the top of my head who went to Japan are Tony Batista and Gabe Kapler.

[liveandletdie]

Originally posted by BoSoxFan87
That's awesome, but hopefully they won't be too prominent. This year the only 2 significant guys I can think of off the top of my head who went to Japan are Tony Batista and Gabe Kapler.

Jolbert Cabrera and Adam Riggs too. Not so significant, but good players nonetheless.

[Paul Drye]

Just as a farce I'd be interested in adding a few Japanese cities to the game and puting a team there. Obviously ignoring the flight times how would those cities shape up? Would it be feasable to use them or are they too different so as to make them either too good or too horible? [/B]

I've thought it would be fun to run a World League. To about six teams in the US and one in Toronto, you add a couple in Mexico, one in each of Havana, Maracaibo, Santo Domingo, Taipei, and Seoul, and three in Japan. Am I missing a notable baseball nation?

[SFSteveG]

I would love a World League. Sounds like fun to me.