Keep your eye this coming season in Japanese baseball on catcher Tsubasa Aizawa of the Hiroshima Carp. The 27-year-old, eight-year veteran appears ready to take over as the first-string catcher on a team poised to challenge for the Central League pennant under new manager Koichi Ogata.

Catchers not providing even halfway-decent offensive statistics has been one of the weak points in an otherwise mostly strong overall performance for a club that finished third in the CL standings the last two years.

Over the past eight seasons during the managerial days of Marty Brown and Kenjiro Nomura, the backstop duties have been shared mostly by Yoshiyuki Ishihara and Yoshikazu Kura. Ishihara will be 36 this year, and Kura 40, so that era appears to be over. Both are still active but, besides their ages, their lack of batting skills is a big factor that should relegate them to the bench in 2015.

When Brown was the manager (2006-09), he used to say, “I wish I had a catcher who could at least hit .200,” as it was often the case the Carp receivers all had batting averages below that figure. This past season, Ishihara hit .192 and Kura .093 in limited appearances.

About managing Aizawa in his earlier years as a pro, Brown says he wanted to get a better look at the youngster, but the player was often injured. Brown wrote in a recent e-mail, “I always liked his abilities to swing the bat as well as catch. If he could have stayed healthy, he would have gotten some playing time even though he was young.”

Brown added, “Aizawa has a good personality for a catcher.”

In 65 games during the 2014 campaign, Aizawa batted .307 and hit 10 home runs while driving in 30. No other catcher in all of Japanese baseball managed double figures for a home run total except Shinnosuke Abe of the Yomiuri Giants. Abe slammed 19 homers while also playing some first base toward the end of the season. This year, Abe is no longer listed as a catcher on the Giants roster and will be a full-time first sacker.

Projected over a full 143-game season, Aizawa’s 2014 stats would total 22 homers and 66 RBIs, and that would add even more poke to a Hiroshima lineup that includes reigning home run king Brad Eldred and .300 hitters Yoshihiro Maru, Ryosuke Kikuchi and Rainel Rosario.

Aizawa’s career — in fact, his life — might have come to an end on Aug. 2, 2012, when he was hit in the face by a 148-kph fastball hurled by Yokohama BayStars flame-thrower Shun Yamaguchi at Yokohama Stadium. The pitch struck Aizawa below the left eye, and he was carried off the field on a stretcher.

He eventually recovered from the injury, and his comeback would seem to indicate he has no problems or fears of stepping into the batter’s box against Japan’s heat-throwing pitchers.

While there appears to be no question Aizawa can hit, his defensive and leadership skills may be described as adequate. He just needs more experience, which he should be getting as he handles, among others, Carp ace right-hander Kenta Maeda, sophomore sensation Daichi Osera and major league returnee Hiroki Kuroda.

He’ll also be flashing signs to three American pitchers; holdover Deunte Heath and newcomers Kris Johnson and Mike Zagurski, a former roommate during his time with the Philadelphia Phillies of current Yomiuri Giants relief ace Scott Mathieson.

Another indication the team is ready to make Aizawa its regular catcher is the fact his uniform number was changed from 64 to 27, the numeral worn by star Central League masked men Motonobu Tanishige (the current Chunichi Dragons player-manager) and ex-Yakult Swallows catcher Atsuya Furuta (a 2015 Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame inductee).

Ogata has to be excited in taking over as the Carp manager. He’s got a team loaded with talent and, if Hiroshima does not get into the post-season again this year, something will have gone haywire. With Aizawa behind the plate most of the time, the team will be that much better.

As Abe turns 36 next month and makes the move to first base, it is about time for Japanese baseball to see the emergence of another outstanding catcher. Aizawa has as good a chance as any to be that guy. Brown said he’s got a good personality for a catcher. Now let’s see if he’s got the skills.

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Contact Wayne Graczyk at: Wayne@JapanBall.com