Hideto Asamura's Hitting Evolution - The Lineage of a Power-Hitting Second Baseman from Seibu to Rakuten
Hideto Asamura emerged as a hitter-second baseman with Seibu and continued as a cleanup-caliber bat with Tohoku Rakuten after signing as a free agent. In NPB, second basemen are valued for bat control and base running, and players who combine that with power hitting are scarce. Through the path Asamura traveled from Seibu to Rakuten and a comparison of his records at both franchises, we analyze the rare value of a power-hitting second baseman.