The Yankees are collecting stars from the land of the rising sun.
Masahiro Tanaka is joining a Yankees team already replete with Japanese star power.
Several recent teams have featured three Japanese born players. Some have even had four. However, in terms of star power, none can match the 2014 Yankees, who have assembled the greatest collection of Japanese ballplayers on this side of the Pacific Ocean.
As one of the most heralded players in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), Masahiro Tanaka’s presence alone would be enough to make the Yankees one of the most relevant teams in Japan. However, the talented right hander will be joining two elite countrymen in the Bronx. In Ichiro Suzuki and Hiroki Kuroda, the Bronx Bombers already feature the Japanese hitter and pitcher who have had the most success in the major leagues, so, although Tanaka will likely take center stage, he won’t be the only focus of baseball fans in Japan.
Teams with Three or More Japanese Born Players
Source: baseball-reference.com
Merchandising and international media rights are shared equally among all major league teams, but the Yankees are likely to enjoy other residual benefits from having most favored status in Japan (except, perhaps, when Yu Darvish is pitching for the Texas Rangers). Between tourism and New York’s sizeable Japanese population, the Yankees could see an uptick in attendance, especially with 40% of their games being started by a Japanese pitcher. The team should also be able to sell increased television advertising and in-stadium signage to Japanese companies seeking to capitalize on the team’s exposure back in their home country. An increase in general brand equity is another potential benefit, not to mention the continued cultivation of a positive reputation among players who may be posted in the future. However, based on past performance and reputation, the biggest impact should be noticed in the standings, and that’s what usually matters most to Yankees fans, no matter where in the world they reside.
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