Watch: Seiya Suzuki guns down Vogelbach with a cannon throw; trash talk between catcher and slugger ensues
Seiya Suzuki was potentially the most sought-after MLB freshman of the year. Due to a rule regarding professional players in Japan, Japanese players must usually wait until they are 27 years old to sign with a team in Major League Baseball. When Suzuki made clear his intent to sign with an MLB team this past offseason, he had many suitors, including the New York Yankees, LA Dodgers, and Seattle Mariners.
Eventually, Suzuki settled with the Chicago Cubs, signing a contract worth $85 million over five years. So far, Suzuki has lived up to the expectations that most people had of him.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki turns heads with a dart from outfield to home plate
In the NPB, Japan's professional baseball league, Suzuki batted a career .315 with 182 home runs in five years, being named an NPB All-Star every year he played.
So far this season, Suzuki is batting .255 with four home runs and 18 RBIs. The Cubs, however, are lagging in the third spot in their division. With a record of 15-20, they are seven games back of the Milwaukee Brewers for the top spot.
That sequence at Wrigley was awesome. Big Dan Vogelbach hits his first career triple but then is thrown out at the plate by a rocket from Seiya Suzuki in kind of deep RF. Then Vogelbach and Willson Contreras have words. But what a throw.
"That sequence at Wrigley was awesome. Big Dan Vogelbach hits his first career triple but then is thrown out at the plate by a rocket from Seiya Suzuki in kind of deep RF. Then Vogelbach and Willson Contreras have words. But what a throw." - @ Jesse Rogers
Last night, the Cubs played an important game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a division rival. Seiya Suzuki showed off his impressive arm. In the bottom of the fourth, fellow Japanese player Yoshitomo Tsutsugo hit a fly ball to right field with one out and a runner on third base.
So you decided to run on Seiya Suzuki: https://t.co/9vBKIPWDQj
"So you decided to run on Seiya Suzuki:" - @ Chicago Cubs
Tagging up at third was Pirates first baseman Daniel Vogelbach. At 270 lbs, Vogelbach is a big man. Suzuki gunned a throw to Cubs catcher Wilson Contreras, who tagged Vogelbach out in the nick of time. Vogelbach, however, proceeded to fall against Contreras and a skirmish ensued at home plate.
The Cubs went on to win the game 7-0. There is, however, a lot more work to be done if this team wants to hear itself in the conversation over the summer. For Seiya Suzuki, though, the play was an excellent example of how potent a fielder he can be in addition to his supreme hitting abilities.