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Dodgers Woo 100 MPH Japanese High School Hurler

A Dodgers envoy went to Japan to express interest in signing Shohei Otani, a high school pitching phenom with a fastball clocked at 100 mph.

The Los Angeles Dodgers assistant manager Logan White traveled to Iwate prefecture in extreme northeastern Honshu to meet with Hanamaki Higashi High School baseball coach Hiroshi Sasaki for over an hour and a half Thursday. Otani wasn’t present at the meeting though the 18-year-old right-hander has already expressed his intention to turn pro when he graduates next March.

The Dodgers are one of many pro teams around the world that have taken an interest in Otani after a radar gun measured one of his pitches hitting 160 kph (100 mph) during the regionals of the summer’s national championships. The pitches leading up to that one were clocked at between 97 and 99 mph.

“It felt good to throw my favorite fastball like that,” Otani told reporters after the televised game. “That was the speed I promised the coach I would throw so I’m glad to have clocked that figure.”

White compared Otani’s prospects to Clayton Kershaw who turned pro straight out of high school, and at the age of 20 became the youngest player in major league baseball. In 2011 Kershaw won the Cy Young Award and the Pitching Triple Crown, becoming the youngest since Dwight Gooden to achieve either title.

Other MLB teams expected to approach Otani in the coming weeks include the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox. But the Dodgers are under deep-pocketed new ownership fronted by former NBA superstar Magic Johnson and are likely to bid aggressively for Otani’s services.

Otani’s pitching speed is especially remarkable because his arm won’t be fully developed for at least several more years. When it is, he would be likely to rival Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds who is currently the fastest pitcher in MLB, with speeds of 103-105mph. Other great fastballers include Nolan Ryan (100.9 mph), Tigers reliever Joel Zumaya (104.8 mph), Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton (103 mph) and Randy Johnson (102 mph).

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