Masahiro Tanaka is officially a member of the New York Yankees organization.
When the team welcomed him to America with a press conference at Yankee Stadium, the brightest pitching star from Japan entered Major League Baseball. Within a few days, fans and media members will garner a live view of his pitches and ability.
For now, we have his personality and demeanor to dissect.
After shelling out $175 million for Tanaka, including the posting fee to his Japanese team, the Yankees are counting on him to lead their rotation for a long time. If his first press conference was any indication, the franchise just landed a star.
Here are the key takeaways from Masahiro Tanaka’s first Yankees press conference.