“Blood, Sweat, and Tears” — Mariners Coach Shuhei Fukuda Opens Up About Life in the Majors

“Once 10 seconds have passed, it’s already too late.”

“Today I’m with the Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A team. I woke up at 9 a.m., had breakfast at a nearby Starbucks, and checked the day’s training schedule while drinking coffee. The game didn’t start until 6 p.m., but I arrived at the stadium shortly after 11 a.m. and spent some time studying English using an app. It’s only junior high school-level English, though.

Whenever a player or fellow coach uses a word or expression I don’t understand, I rely on a translation app, and later I review those terms. Today, the word ‘anticipate’ came up repeatedly. We were talking about how outfielders need to anticipate different situations and react accordingly. Anticipate—I’ve got to learn how to use it properly.”

Japanese players have been succeeding in Major League Baseball for many years, but Shuhei Fukuda (37) became the first former NPB position player to sign with an MLB organization as a coach.

After being selected in the first round of the 2007 high school draft by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Fukuda went on to play for the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Kufu Hayate Ventures Shizuoka before retiring in 2024.

Wanting to see as many different styles of baseball as possible, Fukuda contacted MLB organizations through his agency. Since May of last year, he has worked for the Seattle Mariners organization, traveling among its academy in the Dominican Republic, rookie league affiliates, minor league teams, and major league club while teaching defensive skills and baserunning techniques.

“After lunch, I help with early workouts starting at 1 p.m. We stretch, play catch, and then divide into about three groups for practice. I mainly work with the outfielders on defense and baserunning.

Outfielders spend time on defense whenever they’re not batting, so that’s when I communicate with them and offer advice during baserunning drills. In the minor leagues, there’s only one hitting coach, so I also serve as a batting-practice pitcher. Sometimes I even work as the first-base coach during games.”

After games, the coaches hold meetings over dinner. Although he sometimes doesn’t leave the stadium until nearly 11 p.m., Fukuda says that the language barrier is more challenging than the physical demands of the job.

“If I hesitate while translating something, the player has already walked away. Once 10 seconds have passed, it’s over. Every coaches’ meeting makes me nervous. I analyze the previous day’s game and the players’ issues, use AI tools to prepare materials in English, and do everything I can to get ready. Even so, unexpected questions always come up, and my heart starts racing.”

“Hitting a Home Run off Ohtani” — The Ultimate Icebreaker

Fukuda participated in last year’s spring training as a trainee. Having never played in the United States—let alone in the major leagues—he says people looked at him as if to ask, “Who is this guy?”

“In Major League Baseball, many people still believe that the level of Japanese baseball is below Triple-A. Objectively speaking, there are measurable differences, such as the average velocity of starting pitchers, so I understand why they think that way.

Even though there are stars like Shohei Ohtani (31) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27), who have won MVP awards and major titles, people tend to think of them as exceptional cases.

Still, I take pride in having built my career through defense and baserunning. So I thought, ‘Fine, then I’ll just show everyone what I can do.’ I took my position in center field and moved around exactly as I would during a game. Since my days with the Hawks, I had honed a style of play in which, as soon as the ball was hit into the air, I would take my eyes off it, predict where it would land, and sprint there at full speed.

After watching me, people kept asking, ‘How can I get a first step like Shuhei’s?’ The way the coaches looked at me changed completely. America is a meritocracy. By showing them what I could do, I earned their respect, and that eventually led to my coaching contract.”

Fukuda added with a laugh:

“Earlier I said that Ohtani and Yamamoto are special players, but the thing people react to most when they hear about my career is that I’ve hit two home runs off Ohtani and two off Yamamoto.

Every time a new player arrives, one of my colleagues says, ‘Shuhei, show this guy the video of the home run you hit off Ohtani as your calling card!’

Before facing pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (36) of the Rockies, an analyst even showed footage of the home run I hit against him and said, ‘This is how you hit Sugano!'”

Fukuda says that Ichiro (52), special assistant to the chairman and an instructor with the Mariners organization, is respected far more than people realize.

“When he comes to the stadium, not only the players but even the coaches can’t bring themselves to approach him. Everyone just watches him from a distance. From such a legendary figure, I learned techniques that completely changed the way I think.”

Last offseason, Fukuda was invited to play for the Middle East Falcons of Baseball United, the first professional baseball league in the Middle East and South Asia, and spent a month there as a player.

“I thought that if I could apply the knowledge I’d gained as a coach to my own body, I’d be able to teach players more effectively.

I’m still trying to figure out exactly what it means to be a coach, but at this point, I’d say a coach is a companion who walks alongside players as they pursue their ideal selves.”

One thing is certain: Coach Shuhei Fukuda’s passion and determination are unmistakable.

The July 10 issue of “FRIDAY” and the paid edition “FRIDAY GOLD,” released on June 25, also feature stories about the otherworldly techniques Fukuda learned from Ichiro, the invaluable advice he received as a coach, his experiences while playing for Hayate before moving to the United States, and the emotional moments that brought him to tears as a coach.

Click here to view the full article and more photos↓

From the July 10, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”