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Nationals Found Themselves a High-Leverage Reliever in Unorthodox Way

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Aug 21, 2025 12:04 PM ET

This past winter, the Washington Nationals made team history when they signed Shinnosuke Ogasawara to a two-year, $3.5 million contract, making him the first-ever Japanese international to sign a free agency deal with the franchise.

At the time, no one quite knew how the left-hander would factor in. The Nationals were staunch on their belief that he would be a starting pitcher for them, giving him every opportunity during camp to earn a rotation spot.

But ultimately, Washington felt it would be better for Ogasawara's development if they started him in the minors, something that see med clear based on the struggles he had throughout spring training when he allowed 15 earned runs in 12 innings pitched across five starts.

It's been a long journey to get to this point where he has become a key part of the major league pitching staff, but now that he's there, he's starring in a role that no one anticipated when he came over from Japan.

Shinnosuke Ogasawara Has Become High-Leverage Reliever

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Injuries set the 27-year-old back almost immediately in the early part of the campaign, causing the lefty to spend stints on the injured list before going through rehab assignments as he tried to find his way in the United States for the first time.

Then, when Ogasawara got healthy, the Nationals called him up for his MLB debut on July 6, inserting him into the rotation to finally see what he could do at the big league level in that role. But it did not go well, with him getting tagged for seven runs on 11 hits in 6 2/3 innings across two starts, causing Washington to option him back to Triple-A Rochester on July 13.

Following the trade deadline, the Nationals decided to recall him to the MLB roster. However, this time, they changed up Ogasawara's role and decided to move him into the bullpen, a shift that has worked out well for both parties.

In seven appearances as a reliever, he has a 3.18 ERA with eight hits and four runs allowed in 11 1/3 innings pitched, including his first career major league win after he played a huge role in Washington's upset over the Philadelphia Phillies.

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— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 15, 2025

"He's on a mission," interim manager Miguel Cairo said, per Mark Zuckerman of MASN. "I love the passion, the energy. That's what you're looking for when you put someone on the mound."

It will be interesting to see if this is how the Nationals want to use him going forward. The previous regime of Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez are longer running things following their dismissal, so how the next manager and general manager -- whether that's Cairo and interim GM Mike DeBartolo or not -- view him will determine everything.

But for now, Ogasawara is adjusting to something he hasn't done during his career; coming out of the bullpen instead of starting games.

"This is a new experience for me," he said. "So I'm just trying to work on it and enjoy it as much as I can."