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Padres sign international free agent to minor-league deal

The San Diego Padres made their first offseason move by signing Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Nogami to a minor-league deal, bypassing the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league entirely. Nogami, a 20-year-old standout from Osaka Sangyo University, posted eye-catching numbers in his most recent collegiate season, including a 0.36 ERA and a staggering 19.18 strikeouts-per-nine rate over 25.1 innings pitched.

His repertoire features a four-seamer, slider, cutter, curveball, and splitter, with velocity reportedly climbing since his high school days, where he touched 90 mph. The Padres’ acquisition highlights a growing trend of Japanese players opting for direct MLB pathways over NPB development, though Nogami’s transition may be slightly unique given his experience in Japan’s semi-hardball league—where batters hit with less power—rather than traditional baseball.

With no public stats from his first year at OSU, his spring breakout came after joining the team in his sophomore season, where he helped lead his university to an undefeated league championship. Nogami will begin the 2025 season in the minors, though a non-roster Spring Training invite could accelerate his timeline if his stuff holds up against MLB hitters.

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