New York Yankees catching prospect Kyle Higashioka took some time this offseason to learn the Japanese language, which is a part of his family’s roots.
“My dad has always been pressing me to learn,” said Higashioka. “This spring, finally, I thought maybe I should try.”
This not only helps him connect to his family roots, but learning Japanese also helps Higashioka communicate with Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka.
The 26-year old was able to learn how to say all of Tanaka’s pitches in his native language as well as being able to tell him where to locate them.