The D-backs signed 23-year-old Japanese pitcher Shumpei Yoshikawa to a Minor League contract on Friday after Yoshikawa elected to forgo the opportunity to start his professional career in Japan in favor of a chance at playing in the Major Leagues.
The 6-foot-1, 176-pound Yoshikawa was a top amateur prospect in Japan and expected to be a high selection in Nippon Professional Baseball's upcoming October amateur draft, according to the Japan Times. He currently pitches for Panasonic in the Japanese corporate league, an amateur league.
According to the Kyodo News, Yoshikawa is the first top Japanese amateur prospect to skip the NPB altogether to sign with a Major League club since pitcher Junichi Tazawa signed with the Red Sox in 2008.