Oct 10, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Texas Rangers logo on the field before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Rangers in game three of the ALDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Texas Rangers Sign Intriguing International Free Agent Pitcher from Japan

Originally posted on Texas Rangers on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 3:59 PM ET

The Texas Rangers are dipping into the talent rich Japanese market with the signing of international free agent right-handed pitcher Masahiro Fukuda.

Per MLB reporter Francys Romero, the 23-year-old most recently played in the Japanese independent leagues, and possesses a diverse arsenal that features a low to mid-90s fastball, and a devastating slider that sits upwards of 3000 RPMs.

While the specifics of the deal are not yet known, Fukuda's official MLB.com player profile has the contract listed as a minor-league deal, and states that Texas has assigned him to their Dominican Summer League affiliate.

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The Texas Rangers signed international free agent RHP Masahiro Fukuda (23), with experience in Japan’s independent leagues.

His arsenal includes an 88–92 MPH fastball, a 3000 RPM slider, plus a curve, cutter, and splitter.

Trained by Shima Baseball Academy. pic.twitter.com/BRO2JiSu4B
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) June 30, 2025

This marks the second time in the last couple of months that Texas has dipped into the ever growing Asian talent pool, as the team also signed highly coveted Korean high schooler Seong Jung-Kim back in May.

Fukuda is admittedly a much lower profile addition than Seong, but he does posses some very tantalizing upside should he be able to navigate the minor leagues.

Texas also has a long history of success with hurlers who originate from the Land of the Rising Sun, with names like Yu Darvish and Kohei Uehara spending time with the team in the 2010s.

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The Rangers were also reportedly very interested in signing current Los Angeles Dodgers star Roki Sasaki last offseason, but were ultimately unable to land him.

Only time will tell how successful Fukuda's tenure in Texas will end up being, but there's very few organizations who have a better track record of getting the most out of Japanese pitching than the Rangers.

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This article first appeared on Texas Rangers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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