MLB clubs that were scouting Kenta Maeda on Wednesday had to like what they saw. Some of the guys who had the best view of him sure were impressed.
The right-handed Maeda held a lineup featuring Robinson Cano, Evan Longoria, Justin Morneau and Yasiel Puig to two hits over five innings, helping Japan to a 2-0 victory in Game 1 of this year's exhibition series.
MORE: Must-see photos from the series
"He can pitch in the big leagues," Morneau, the Rockies first baseman, said, per MLB.com. "I'm sure we'll see him over there. He's got good stuff."
"He mixed his pitches," Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar told MLB.com. "Slow curveball, slider, change, curve. He was throwing really good. He can pitch in the major leagues. He's got good stuff."
This wasn't the first time Maeda faced MLB hitters, but the lineup he encountered Wednesday was deeper than what he saw previously. He held Puerto Rico to one run over five innings in last year's World Baseball Classic semifinals at AT&T Park. That team featured Carlos Beltran, Yadier Molina, Alex Rios, Angel Pagan and Mike Aviles. Earlier in the tournament he dominated a Netherlands squad that boasted Andruw Jones, Andrelton Simmons, Xander Bogaerts and Roger Bernadina.
A Maeda move to North America is still a ways off even though he has expressed interest in coming over. His Japan League team, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, must first make him available through the posting system. That could happen as early as this offseason, but so far the Carp have held off.
Maeda was limited to making a postgame statement Wednesday, so there were no ticklish questions about his future.
"I am happy to finish my outing with a good result, especially in the first game of the series," Maeda said. "They made me throw a few more pitches than I wanted in the first inning, but I got my rhythm after that."
