Nippon Ham Fighters ace Yu Darvish will be returning to the Pacific League team in 2009 after signing for an estimated salary of 270 million yen next season, which translates to about $2.9 million U.S. dollars. Darvish earned 200 million yen in 2008 on the heels of a Sawamura Award-winning season for the Fighters in 2007.
The son of an Iranian father and Japanese mother, the 22-year-old Darvish is considered one of Japan’s top pitchers. The 6’5” righty has a career record of 63-18 with 518 strikeouts in 600 innings over four seasons with the Hokkaido-based Fighters. He has won 43 of 57 decisions the past three years, two seasons with an ERA of below 1.90. Darvish was 16-4 in 2008 with a 1.88 ERA, 208 strikeouts and Japanese-best ten complete games.
Darvish also pitched for Japan in the Beijing Olympics last summer, but did not do well. He appeared in three games and finished 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA. While he struck out ten batters in seven innings, he also issued five walks, uncorked two wild pitches and hit a batter.
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