Top-10 Profiles of 2025: No. 5 Shoei Darvishsefat

This was my first look of the season at Darvish following his sit-out after transferring from IMG. While the appearance was brief, all the positive indicators showed for a strong second half of the season. Darvish stands at around 6’0” and 190 lbs. His motion is controlled and calculated with a big front hip coil and strong lead leg block. The arm action is short and compact staying bent and close to his body. The whole operation is explosive upon landing, whipping the arm forward. Arsenal wise, Darvish showcased a four-seam FB, two-seam FB, and a CB. The four-seam FB ran up in the zone and was the grip that generated the most velocity for Darvish with him topping at 91 mph twice while sitting 88-90. The two-seam was just a notch below velocity wise at 87-88 but made up for it with tons of arm side run. Darvish showed the ability to get this pitch for strikes on the backdoor against RHH and occasionally on the inside corner looking to get in on the hands of batters. The CB looked sharp with late break and two-planes of movement. The pitch got more vertical/horizontal at points correlated with the velocity range of 75-80 mph. With a couple of games left in league play this season before a hopeful playoff run, Darvish is a capable arm ready to make an impact whether it be in the role of a reliever or starter.