When Yu Darvish left for the major leagues after the 2011 season, the prevailing thought was the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters' pitching staff would be a rudderless ship.
Then, improbably, left-hander Mitsuo Yoshikawa stepped up to fill the void. The Fighters hardly missed Darvish in 2012, with Yoshikawa finishing 14-5 with a 1.71 ERA in 25 appearances. He helped lead the team to an appearance in the Japan Series and was named the Pacific League MVP after the season.
That Yoshikawa hasn't been seen around Sapporo since then. He was 10-19 in 39 appearances over the ensuing two seasons, putting up an 3.80 ERA. Injuries played a role in his decline, but the lack of production prior to his big year made that 2012 season seem akin to found money.
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