This Royals pitcher spent a year in Japan. Now, he could land roster spot this spring
Kansas City Royals pitcher Thomas Hatch was in his own world.
On Wednesday, Hatch was nose deep in his iPad studying data points. There was film from his recent bullpen and a host of numerical information captured from the TrackMan system and Edgertronic cameras.
Hatch was glued to the screen. It had been a while since he had wealth of data analytics at the push a button.
And a stark difference from his previous stop.
“I was kind of nerding out a bit,” Hatch said.
Hatch didn’t pitch in the majors last season. Instead, he was pitching for the Hiroshima Carp in Japan. He played 20 combined games with Hiroshima with 15 appearances in the Japan Western League (minor-league equivalent) and five appearances in the Japan Central League (major-league equivalent).
It was a culture shock for Hatch, who is an Oklahoma native. However, Japan gave him a new baseball perspective that he didn’t know he needed.
“I’ve never been outside of the United States,” Hatch said. “So to go there and play baseball, it was a really cool experience for me and my family. (It’s) a totally different game there. But it was cool to make that adaptation to that game.”
Hatch was in a time warp. He had to learn a new culture and adjust to an environment where he was a foreigner. There was a language barrier and different amenities, which made his daily routine a unique challenge.
“Even a year, it’s tough to adjust,” Hatch said. “I feel like it’s 180 degrees different than in the U.S., but in a good way. It’s really clean and people are very friendly. But getting around, transportation is a lot different. You know, the infrastructure, the trains and walking. People bike everywhere. The weather is super humid and super sunny, but it’s a really cool experience.”
It took a while, but Hatch found his solace on the field.
Prior to Japan, Hatch had MLB experience playing with the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates. In 2023, Hatch posted a 4.08 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 28 ⅔ innings.
Baseball was still the same, but the strategy was different. Hatch quickly realized he needed to alter his mindset to be successful on the field. There was limited access to data analytics in Japan and he could only self-evaluate his progress by facing batters in live game action.
“The hitters’ approach there is completely different than in the U.S.,” Hatch said. “Where it’s a little bit more of a power game here, it’s kind of a finesse game there. There is a lot less striking out and a lot less swing and miss. It’s a little bit more trying to protect the (strike) zone as a hitter. They try to move the ball like bunting and stealing bases a lot more. So you never get a moment to just kind of breathe.”
As a result, Hatch learned to be more precise. He focused on executing his pitches within the strike zone. The ability to hit corners and move the baseball throughout different quadrants was paramount for success.
“I feel like you are always having to keep runners in check and really you have to be able to set up pitches perfectly in order to strike guys out,” Hatch said.
Hatch produced a 3.53 ERA during his stint in Japan. He pitched 94 ⅓ innings and established a rhythm down the stretch.
The Royals became interested this offseason. Hatch weighed a few minor-league offers but was intrigued with KC’s 2024 campaign. He chose the Royals due to their track record of developing pitchers.
“I’m excited that they made a good recruiting pitch,” Hatch said. “It’s been a great camp so far and I think it’s been a good decision.”
This spring, Hatch is competing for a roster spot. The Royals have several non-roster invitees with MLB experience in camp. Hatch joins Ross Stripling, Taylor Clarke and Junior Fernandez among others.
Recently, the Royals have hit on non-roster invitees. Last season, Royals left-handed reliever Sam Long had a key role in the playoffs. He pitched in high-leverage situations against both the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees.
KC also relied on veteran relievers Tyler Duffey and Dan Altavilla for stretches in the regular season.
It’s possible that Hatch could carve out a role within the organization. Royals manager Matt Quatraro was impressed with his early metrics in camp.
“His delivery is really good and he commands the ball really well,” Quatraro said. His (velocity) is a little higher than I would’ve expected, especially early in camp. But, his command and his poise, you know, even in his bullpens is really impressive.”
Hatch struck out three batters in his first spring training appearance with the Royals. He threw 20 of 29 pitches for strikes against the Chicago White Sox.
The Royals look to get him more opportunities soon. Hatch says he’s prepared for them.
“Coming back here, the execution with two strikes and putting hitters away seems a little bit easier because of that difference in play,” Hatch said. “I kind of learned to execute a little better with pitches. And I think that will play really well seeing that side of the game.”
As for his time in Japan, Hatch credits the year away from home as a special moment in his baseball journey for him and his family.
“I think it was a breath of fresh air,” Hatch said. “It was a new experience and a new opportunity. And, I learned a lot and I’m looking forward to using those things that I learned back here.”
