Fujinami said he was glad that he and Ohtani could entertain Japanese fans in his first spring training game for the A’s.
Los Angeles Angels player Shohei Ohtani greets Oakland A’s pitcher Shintaro Fujinami before the Oakland A’s spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels at Hohokam Stadium on February 28, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona. Photo by John MedinaMESA, Ariz. — Tuesday’s Cactus League game between the A’s and Angels didn’t feel like a normal spring training contest.
It was the first time Fujinami has shared the same field with his fellow 28-year-old countryman since 2014, when they both competed against major leaguers in the Japan All-Star Series. But their meeting on Tuesday was also the first time they faced each other since 2012. That’s when they battled each other in the National High School Baseball Championship of Japan the summer before they were both selected in the first round of the Nippon Professional Baseball draft.
In his first inning of work, Fujinami, one of the A’s significant free-agent signings this winter, notched a pair of strikeouts, both on his heralded, low-90s splitter, fooling Angels infielders David Fletcher and Jake Lamb, who both waved and missed at the pitch for strike three.
Langeliers said that Fujinami showcased all of his pitches, including his slider, two-seam fastball and mid-70s curveball. The pair have started to develop early chemistry through the first two weeks of camp, which Langeliers said will lead to steady improvements during the season.
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