[Monologue] “Defense and Baserunning Specialist” Shuhei Fukuda, Who Has Played for Multiple Teams, Shares His “MLB Struggles: A Story of Sweat and Tears”

Struggling with the Language Barrier

Today I’m with the Tacoma Rainiers, a Triple-A team. I woke up at 9:00 a.m., had breakfast at a nearby Starbucks, and checked today’s practice schedule while drinking coffee. The game started at 6:00 p.m., but I arrived at the ballpark a little after 11:00 a.m. and was studying English on an app. Though when I say “studying,” it’s really just middle school-level English.

When I come across words or expressions I don’t understand in conversations with fellow players and coaches, I use a translation app, and I review those terms as well. Today, the word “anticipate” came up several times. The discussion was about how, as an outfielder, I have to anticipate various situations and move accordingly. “Anticipate”—I really need to figure out how to use that word…

It’s been quite some time since Japanese players began making their mark in MLB, but Shuhei Fukuda (37) is the first former NPB position player to sign with an MLB team as a coach.Selected as the first overall pick in the 2007 high school draft by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, this specialist in defense and baserunning—who retired in 2024 after stints with the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Kufu Hayate Ventures Shizuoka—contacted MLB through his agency, saying, “I want to see all kinds of baseball.”Since last May, he has been traveling as a coach with the Seattle Mariners, visiting their academy in the Dominican Republic, as well as their rookie league, minor league, and major league teams, to teach defensive and baserunning techniques.

After lunch, I help with the early-afternoon practice session that starts at 1:00 p.m. We do some stretching and catch, then split into about three groups to work through the practice drills. I oversee outfield defense and baserunning.Since outfielders take their defensive positions when they’re not batting, I communicate with them there and call out instructions during base-running drills. Since there’s only one hitting coach in the minors, I also serve as a batting practice pitcher. I sometimes serve as the first-base coach during games.

After the game, the coaches have a meeting over dinner. Sometimes we don’t leave the ballpark until close to 11:00 p.m., but the “language barrier” is more challenging than the physical strain. If I take too long to translate, the players will just walk away. If I take more than 10 seconds, it’s already too late. I feel anxious before every coaching meeting.I analyze and reflect on the previous day’s game and the players’ challenges in my own way, then use AI to create materials in English. Even though I prepare meticulously, unexpected questions still come flying at me, making my heart race.

The opening line was “A home run off Ohtani.”

I participated in last year’s spring training as a trainee. Having never played in the U.S., let alone in the majors, I was looked at with a “Who is this guy?” kind of expression. In Major League Baseball, there are still many people who believe that “the level of Japanese baseball is below Triple-A.” Since there’s a clear gap in objective data—such as the average fastball velocity of starting pitchers—this is, to some extent, unavoidable.

Even with title holders and MVP-winning stars like Shohei Ohtani (31) and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (27), the prevailing view is that “they’re special cases.”

However, I take pride in the fact that I’ve made my living through defense and base running. So, thinking, “Well then, let’s have them watch everything I do,” I took my position in center field and moved around just as I would in an actual game.When I demonstrated the defensive technique I’d honed since my days with the Hawks—where I take my eyes off the ball as soon as a fly ball is hit and run at top speed toward the predicted landing spot—I was bombarded with questions like, “How can we get a start like Shuhei’s?” The way the coaches looked at me changed completely.America is a meritocracy. By demonstrating my skills, I earned their recognition, which led to my subsequent coaching contract.

By the way… I mentioned earlier that “Ohtani and Yushin are special,” but the thing that goes over best with them in my career is that “I’ve hit two home runs off both Ohtani and Yamamoto.”Whenever a new player joins the team, my teammates tell me, “Shuhei, show this guy the video of you blasting a home run off Ohtani—it’s your calling card!”

During a pre-game meeting before facing pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (36, Rockies), we played footage of me hitting a home run off him, and the analyst said, “This is how you hit Sugano!” (laughs).

Last offseason, Fukuda received an invitation from the Mid-East Falcons of “Baseball United”—the first professional baseball league in the Middle East and South Asia—and played there for a month. “I figured that if I could internalize the insights I gained as a coach, it would be easier to convey them to the players,” he said.

What I reaffirmed was that “what the Hawks are doing is cutting-edge.” The Hawks-style defense I mentioned earlier is a prime example. Even now, I still get a better start than the young players in the minors. I tell the players, “Make it a habit to keep your center of gravity low and burst off the mark—even on foul balls.”

Ichiro (52), Special Advisor to the Chairman and Instructor for the Mariners, is probably respected far more than you might imagine. When he comes to the ballpark, not only the players but even the coaches can’t get close to him—they just watch from a distance.

From Ichiro—such a legendary figure—I learned a technique that was a real eye-opener.

Take judging the ball’s trajectory, for example. In both Japan and the U.S., players are taught to use a “shuffle”—making small, quick hops while assessing the ball—but Ichiro says, “That causes your line of sight to waver up and down, leading to misjudgments. It’s better to remain still at the moment of impact when the batter makes contact with the ball.”

Ichiro’s “Words of Wisdom”

From the moment a pitcher begins his delivery until the ball reaches the catcher’s mitt, it takes about 0.0 seconds for the fastest pitchers and about 1.5 seconds for the slowest. During that time, you can take a sufficient second lead and be firmly planted with both feet on the ground when the ball makes contact. When you actually try it, it really does make it easier to judge the situation.I’m convinced this will definitely reduce mistakes like rushing out on a line drive with spin toward the infield and ending up in a double play.

Young players and coaches who watched Ichiro’s batting practice during spring training all ask the same question: “Why does Ichiro practice pulling inside pitches so much?” Ichiro’s batting practice is all about “hitting the hardest pitch with proper form.”The “most difficult pitch” is a fastball that cuts in on the inside. While some players excel at it, an inside fastball—which you can’t make contact with unless you start your swing early—is generally the hardest to hit. He practices bringing the bat out from the inside of his body to make solid contact, ensuring the ball doesn’t turn into a drive or a ground ball.Since every player has their own strengths and weaknesses, not everyone can apply the techniques Ichiro taught me. Still, as a coach, I’ve definitely expanded my arsenal of strategies and techniques I can offer.

“What makes a great coach?”

When I asked him this question, Ichiro replied, “A coach who speaks the truth.” The truth is “what you really think.” Some coaches, out of concern that a player might get upset or that a distance might develop between them, offer praise they don’t truly mean—but that doesn’t benefit the player.

“Once you become a coach, everyone gets better at baseball.”

Ichiro also said this:

There are many coaches who only remember their own good times and the things they were able to do. When that happens, their teaching style becomes, “Why can’t you do this?” Why can’t you throw a strike? Why are you swinging at balls? I, too, was a “player who couldn’t do it.” If everyone could do what they were told right away, they’d all be superstars. I vowed to myself, “I will never forget how I felt when I was an active player.”

Back when I was playing for the Kufu Hayate, I once put two hamburger steaks on my plate in the cafeteria and was told, “One per person.” I realized that even within the same sport of baseball, playing environments can be so different, and I thought, “I’d like to see how teams overseas operate.” The United States was the first destination on my journey to gain a deeper understanding of baseball.

The other day, Ryland Thomas (26), who had been on the Mariners’ roster (the 40-man major league roster), was suddenly designated for assignment (DFA—effectively released).I’d been watching him play outfield since last year; he’s a contact hitter like Ichiro. I really liked his playing style—he’s all about getting on base… As I hugged Lylan,

“Let’s meet again somewhere,”

I said through tears as we parted ways—and today, there he was, playing for the opposing team. While thinking, “This is the U.S. for you,” I was happy to see a player I’d worked with doing well. Just seeing him get off to a good start in the outfield puts a smile on my face. Every single one of their successes is a source of joy for me.What is a coach? I’m still learning how to answer that question, but for now, I’d say “a partner who runs alongside players as they strive toward their ideals”—maybe?

Once I start talking about my feelings for the players, I can’t stop. Coach Shuhei Fukuda’s support is, above all, passionate and powerful.

From the July 10, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*