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The story
It was revealed on September 23, 2026 that DeNA pitcher Shintaro Fujinami (32) has been left out of the team’s plans for next season. Released from the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in June 2025, he made a surprise signing with DeNA in July, but this season he appeared in just three games, finishing with a 6.30 ERA and a combined record of only 1 win and 1 loss over two years. Reactions on the thread split right down the middle: fans who remember his days as the ace at Osaka Toin and his track record with the Hanshin Tigers argued “he’s still got room to grow,” while others fired back with harsher takes like “he’s past his expiration date” and “he should retire before he gets seriously hurt.” Fujinami himself reportedly wants to keep playing and is said to be searching for a new team, both in Japan and abroad.
Sports Nippon [September 24, 2026, 05:00]
It was learned on the 23rd that DeNA pitcher Shintaro Fujinami (32) has been left out of next season’s plans. After being released from the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in June 2025, he made a surprise signing in July. This season he made just three appearances, finishing with a record of 1 win over two years (1 loss). As a third-year student at Osaka Toin, he led the team as ace to back-to-back spring and summer Koshien titles, and went on to have a solid career with the Hanshin Tigers, who took him first overall in the 2012 draft. He reportedly intends to keep playing and is looking to chart a new path, both in Japan and overseas.
In his second season back in Japan, Fujinami was expected to be part of the starting rotation, but he couldn’t deliver the results hoped for, going 0-1 in three first-team appearances with a 6.30 ERA.
Source: sponichi.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
A fireballer like him seems better suited for a udon shop
People are still saying that? lol
Might actually work out surprisingly well
He already got cut by an MLB org, though!
Honestly it had already expired before he even left for the US
He should quit before he causes himself a career-ending injury
But he's with the Giants, unfortunately
Fujinami and coach Kubo were together back in their Hanshin days, but there was an article in the Sankei Shimbun and Asahi Geino saying that whenever Kubo tried to coach him, team staff would rush over and shut it down
I wonder if he still feels that way now
You're getting cut at the end of this season too, aren't you
Though for around 10 million yen (~$68,000), maybe someone would bite
The problem is it'd eat up a roster spot
There are 100 mph pitchers everywhere now
That's a phrase you hear a lot, but you clearly don't know the actual ratios or how many guys fail to make the majors or any real numbers — you're probably just copy-pasting something you half-read somewhere and playing expert lol
And it's not just the majors, either — he pulled in 500 million yen (~$3.4 million) in just three years in Japan too
He hurt his hip
And after changing his form because of that, he developed control problems
1.5 million yen plus incentives, maybe lol
He beans Matsuda in the head when he comes over to cheer him up and scores a bonus payout lol
If it were me, I'd feel too bad about everyone involved and just quit
My guess is he's got zero savings or anything set aside
His body really is durable though~ what a waste…
He's got enough to live on for the rest of his life
As long as he doesn't blow it on gambling like Ippei (Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani's ex-interpreter caught in a gambling scandal)
Background and Key Points of the Discussion
Fujinami joined the Hanshin Tigers as their first-round pick in the 2012 draft, having made a name for himself as the ace who led Osaka Toin to back-to-back spring and summer Koshien titles. In 2023 he took on the challenge of the majors on his own and earned some recognition, but posters on the thread point out that he’s struggled with control ever since changing his pitching form following a hip injury. His signing with DeNA this season came under unusual circumstances — a comeback after being released by a Triple-A team — making for a start mixed with both hope and unease. Where the thread split was over whether his raw velocity is still an asset in today’s game: with 160+ km/h (99+ mph) pitchers no longer rare in MLB, some argue “speed alone won’t cut it,” while others still firmly believe in his potential. Note that the comments about his career earnings are based on speculation within the thread and are not officially confirmed figures.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geino/Sports News+) thread “DeNA’s Shintaro Fujinami Left Out of Next Season’s Plans… Just 1 Win in 2 Years With DeNA, Control Issues Prevent Results, Wants to Keep Playing, Exploring Options at Home and Abroad.”
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