D’Backs sign Yoshihisa Hirano: Fantasy Fallout
By Brad Kelly
The D’Backs continue to retool their bullpen, signing Japanese relief ace, Yoshihisa Hirano. What is the fantasy fallout of the deal?
For those wondering “who”, or completely had the news go by quietly, the D’Backs recently signed one of the best closers out of Japan. Yoshihisa Hirano has notched 156 SV during his 11-year career in the JPPL, posting at least 30 SV in three out of the last four seasons. Now added to Arizona’s bullpen, what is the fantasy fallout of the deal?
The first thing that fantasy owners want to know is what Hirano brings to the table with his arsenal. Like most Japanese imports, Hirano features a wipeout splitter. He also happens to pair that with a fastball that sits in the 90-94 mph range and will drop in a decent curveball now and then.
Hirano has made a real name for himself over his last two campaigns in Japan. In 2015, he posted a 1.92 ERA/0.98 WHIP/31 SV/57 K/16 BB line over 61 innings. Last season, he followed that performance with a 2.67/1.27 WHIP/29 SV/47 K/16 BB line over 57 innings.
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He has made a name for himself for working down in the zone with his splitter as his fastball sits more in the lower-90s for the most part. Hirano is 33-years old, so he is long in the tooth, yet has not thrown more than 79 innings since 2012.
The transition to MLB is always the unknown hurdle. Fantasy owners were in the same boat just a matter of a few years ago when it came to Seung hwan-Oh and his arrival. Oh excelled his first season in the majors, but came back to earth last season.
Hirano’s success will, of course, be predicated on how his splitter translates. Unlike Oh, Hirano pretty much sticks to his two-pitch mix. While it is certainly a wipeout pitch, he has to get hitters to bite on it. The great thing about Hirano is that he has shown to be able to control his fastball steadily at the top of the zone, allowing him to control the batters eye from zone to zone.
Chase Field is not exactly the best landing spot for him in terms of fantasy value. His K numbers have been steadily dipping, age certainly helps speed that decline. He will find better competition in the MLB, but he will have the surprise factor working for him.
As an HLD option, Hirano is an intriguing late-round selection. While there is the possibility that he can secure the closing job, Archie Bradley and Brad Boxberger are also in town, with Bradley having the superior arsenal out of the bunch.
Hirano lacks the upper velocity that most splitter heavy closers possess, so there is some plausible skepticism.
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Hishohisa Hirano will certainly be a player to watch this spring and will be given a chance to fight for the closer role for the D’Backs. His fantasy value will hinge on what role he is slotted to finish games for Arizona.