Trevor Bauer reveals what it felt like facing one of NPB’s top arms in the batter’s box

Trevor Bauer is enjoying his time back in NPB. After spending 2024 away from Japan's top league, the former Cy Young winner was re-signed by the Yokohama DeNA BayStars for the 2025 season. In a recent clip, Bauer broke down his at-bat against one of the country's top pitchers.

The BayStars belong in NPB's Central League, the only remaining professional baseball league in the world that has yet to implement the universal designated hitter rule. Thus, Bauer was obliged to face Hanshin Tigers ace Hiroto Saiki.

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"[The first pitch] looked really, really fast," noted Bauer. "That was not comfortable being in the box but I am [ahead in the count] 1-0," he added. (0:06-0:13)

The at-bat happened during the April 22 game between Bauer's BayStars and Saiki's Tigers. Bauer further analyzed the succeeding pitches by the Tigers ace in the video.

"I thought the [next pitch] ran off inside the plate a little bit he got the call. [With the count] back to 1-1, I was thinking two heaters and if I'm on the mound, I don't want to probably throw a third heater. But he's probably gonna throw me one, maybe I get a chance to hit [the next one]. (0:15-0:30)

Bauer fouled off the third pitch as he was just behind it before making a move. Down 1-2, Bauer then struck out looking to Saiki then proceeded to make a humorous remark for his underwhelming at-bat.

"Yeah, no good. Back to the mound." (0:49-0:51)

Saiki's Tigers would not only punch out Bauer but would also claim the victory after Hanshin overcame Yokohama, 4-2. The Japanese ace gave up just two runs on five base hits with five walks and six strikeouts in 6.2 innings. Bauer, meanwhile, incurred his third loss in six starts after surrendering four runs on five base hits with two walks and two strikeouts in seven innings.

Trevor Bauer earns second win of 2025 NPB season

It's been an uphill climb for former MLB All-Star and Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer in his return to NPB. Bauer recently recorded his second win in six starts on the May 9 game against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

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The 34-year-old surrendered three earned runs on eight base hits, one walk and eight strikeouts across eight innings. It took ten innings before the BayStars fended of the Carp which was powered by Shota Suekane's two-run bomb in the fourth inning.

Bauer's next scheduled NPB outing will be against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows at the Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan on Friday, May 16.

About the author

Daniel Santiago is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. He was drawn towards the sport after the underlying statistics and the analysis surrounding it grabbed his attention.

Daniel particularly enjoys furnishing reports about historic events in baseball and analyzing the game through a statistic-based outlook, based on Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference. This is in line with how he enjoyed watching baseball as a pastime. As a writer, he is very particular about cross-checking from reputable sources and doing his due diligence.

He became a lifelong Hideki Matsui fan after his exploits in the 2009 World Series for the New York Yankees. Among the current generation, Daniel's favorites include Shohei Ohtani and Jung Hoo Lee. Daniel is a huge follower of Asian baseball and both Ohtani and Lee have been in the top echelon of their respective leagues during their time with the NPB and KBO.

His favorite moment as a baseball fan was the final at-bat of the 2023 World Baseball Classic between Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout. He believes there aren't many words to fittingly describe the intensity of the moment.

As an avid sports fan, Daniel watches other sports and Esports when not writing about baseball.

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Edited by Daniel Santiago