3. Hisashi Iwakuma – Seattle Mariners
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Japanese import Hisashi Iwakuma never gets credit to the same level as teammate Felix Hernandez, even though both have an identical career 3.07 ERA. That’s just one statistic, though, and it’s hard to argue against Hernandez’s case as the best pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. Still, Iwakuma is a pitcher many teams would love to have.
Iwakuma has spent a very small portion of time in Major League Baseball. He’s only been pitching for the Mariners since 2012 a year in which he split time as a starter and relief pitcher. In 2013 he finished third in the AL Cy Young award voting and made a name for himself.
The biggest downside is that any team giving Iwakuma a contract will be handing it to a 36-year-old. Therefore unfortunately for Iwakuma, his age will limit length of his next contract, the dollars amount, and the number of suitors interested no matter how well he pitches in 2015.