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NPB: 20 can’t miss former MLB players in Japan

By Nick Stevens

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 11: Adam Jones #10 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Oakland Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 11, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 11: Adam Jones #10 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Oakland Athletics at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 11, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Fans will be greeted with former MLB players on many teams in the NPB this season.

OF Cory Spangenberg- Saitama Seibu Lions

Another NBP rookie, Cory Spangenberg was the 10th overall pick in the 2011 draft by the San Diego Padres and may be remembered more for his two pitching performances than his offensive play in San Diego. He was unable to live up to expectations, hitting .258 across five seasons.

Spangenberg left San Diego to try and earn more playing time with the Milwaukee Brewers last season but spent much of the year in Triple-A. He appeared in just 32 games at the big league level, hitting .232 with a .277 on-base percentage. There’s some pop in his bat and he can play just about every position on the field, making him a likely valuable asset to the Lions.

RHP Sean Nolin- Saitama Seibu Lions

Sean Nolin joined the Lions on the same day as Spangenberg as the former noted prospect looks for a fresh start. A former Top 100 prospect, Nolin has spent the last two seasons pitching at various minor league stops and a stint in Independent ball last year as he worked his way back from Tommy John surgery that wiped out all of 2017. Nolin gave up 24 earned runs in his 31 MLB innings with the Blue Jays and A’s.

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OF Nori Aoki- Tokyo Yakult Swallows

Aoki bust onto the scene in the United States with two solid seasons as a Milwaukee Brewer. Finishing fifth in 2012 National League Rookie of the Year voting, Aoki had a productive six-year career in the majors, hitting .285 with a .350 OBP with seven different organizations. He was worth 10.5 bWAR from 2012-2017. Now 38 years old, Aoki is back in Japan where he has continued to be a reliable piece in the lineup who reaches base at an impressive clip.

OF Jabari Blash- Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles

If you like moonshot home runs, Jabari Blash is your guy. Blash wasn’t able to translate his enormous power into success at the major league level, but he has found a home and success in Japan. An 8th-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in 2010, Blash made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres in 2016 but hit just .169 in 38 games. In 123 games, Blash put a career slash line of .186/.306/.307 and managed just eight home runs. He hit 33 home runs last year, his first in the NPB.

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