Shintaro Fujinami is 30 years old and with his fourth MLB organization in three years. The former Japanese league star is still considered a top prospect in America because he can throw a baseball 100 mph .

He’s still seeking a regular job because those 100-mph pitches too often do not find the strike zone. And occasionally, one of them gets hit back at 110 mph.

The Seattle Mariners signed the right-handed reliever to a minor league contract on Jan. 30. They know the talent is there and hope they have the key to unlocking the treasure. He’s not listed as a “prospect” but of all the players in camp without a job waiting in Seattle, he potentially could make the most impact.

Manager Dan Wilson, like other skippers before him, is intrigued by Fujinami’s fastball. "We've got some new faces in here, and one that comes with triple digits on the fastball," Wilson said last month. “So it's exciting to see what that could become. It's exciting to how the different philosophy or a different way of looking at things can really change a player. And it's exciting to see where that may go with him. When you come in here with 100-plus, it's really exciting.”

Fujinami is unlike most Japanese pitchers in many regards. Not many stand 6-foot-6 or throw as hard. Most are around six-foot and pound the strike zone with an assortment of breaking balls.

Remember Daisuke Matsusaka and his “gryo ball” for the Boston Red Sox? Barely six-foot, the right-hander won 33 games in 2007 and 2008. He had only a 23-28 record over the next six years and went spinning his way back to Japan.

Yu Darvish, at 6-5 and Shohei Ohtani at 6-4 are notable exceptions as big, dominating power pitchers from Japan.

Unlike those two, Fujinami was good though not a big star during his 11 pro seasons back home, where he was used mostly in relief. In 258 games including 93 starts, he had an 80-66 record and 3.16 ERA. In 1,323 innings he was hard to hit, giving up only 1,149 hits and striking out 1,381. Patient batters drew 599 walks, a not-so-good average of 4.1 per nine innings.

The Oakland Athletics liked what they saw in 2022 when Fujinami fanned 115 in 107 1/3 innings, allowing 84 hits and 36 walks for Hanshin. They signed him to a one-year, $3.25 million deal and put him in the starting rotation.

Hello Oakland, Goodbye Baseball!

The A’s felt like April Fools when Fujinami made his MLB debut on April 1, 2023. In 2 1/3 innings he gave up 5 hits, 3 walks and 8 runs for a 30.86 ERA. In his next three starts, he was pounded for 16 more runs over 12 2/3 innings. He had an 0-4 record and was banished to the bullpen .

In 30 relief outings, his best was a brisk ninth inning in which he struck out (all swinging) three Detroit Tigers on 12 pitches. The A’s scored in the 10th for a 1-0 win, putting his record at 5-7.

In 34 appearances for Oakland, Fujinami had a 5-8 record, 8.57 ERA and 0 saves before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore's Better, But …

Fujinami was pounded in his first two relief outings, then reeled off six straight scoreless appearances. He continued his up-and-down campaign until notching his first save Aug. 13 in Seattle.

“Great for him, great for us," manager Brandon Hyde said. "If we can get him over the plate, it’s going to be a huge weapon for us. He’s got unbelievable stuff, and we’ve seen that.”

On Aug. 23, Fujinami fanned Toronto Blue Jays sluggers Bo Bichette, Brandon Belt and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Bichette missed a 2-2 fastball, Belt was caught looking on a 2-2 heater Guerrero flailed on a 3-2 pitch. He had another dominant outing against the New York Mets.

Hyde considered Fujinami a good setup option for the upcoming playofs until the right-hander gave up three runs in a third of an inning to turn a 7-5 lead into an 8-7 loss to the Houston Astros on Sept. 18. He used Fujinami only in lost causes from then on and left him off the posrt-season roster.

Not Really New York

The New York Mets signed Fujinami for one year, $3.35 million in February 2024. His bankroll grew; his command got worse. He hurt his shoulder in spring training and spent the summer trying to get back.

Perhaps trying too hard to get back to the majors, he walked an alarming 33 in 36 1/3 inn ings over 33 relief outings in the minors last year. He gave up only 16 hits and struck out 33.

He pitched in Puerto Rico this winter with typical results: 24 strikeouts, 11 walks and 15 hits allowed in 20 2/3 innings.

Shintaro Fujinami’s Mariners Outlook

In three outings this spring, Fujinami has remained maddeningly inconsistent. He has walked three, fanned three and allowed four runs over 2 2/3 innings.

On Monday, Fujinami worked one scoreless inning against the Cleveland Guardians, yielding one hit, getting two groundball outs and a flyout. He was throwing in the mid-90s with good command.

Pete Woodworth, entering his sixth season as Seattle’s pitching coach, could hold the key to Fujinami finally harnessing his heater. A year ago, the Mariners’ hard-throwing staff issued the fewest walks in the American League. Their total of 369 was 47 fewer than allowed by the Detroit Tigers. Seattle also led the AL in ERA (3.46), hits per nine innings (7.4) and was fourth in strikeouts (1,416).

It helps that the staff works half the time in Seattle's pitching-friendly Petco Park. In order to get there, Shintaro Fujinami must throw more strikes in the Arizona desert this spring.