TOKYO -- Japanese third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda strongly considered leaving for the Major Leagues after a 35-home run season for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 2015. Tuesday night, in Japan's opening game at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, Matsuda gave MLB teams and fans a taste of what they missed out on. 
The 33-year-old notched a hit in each of his first three plate appearances, capping it off with a three-run home run that gave Japan a 6-1 fifth-inning lead over Cuba.
The 33-year-old notched a hit in each of his first three plate appearances, capping it off with a three-run home run that gave Japan a 6-1 fifth-inning lead over Cuba.Despite his power, Matsuda was the eighth hitter in Japan manager Hiroki Kokubo's opening night lineup. The skipper's plan worked well as Matsuda's fourth-inning single led to the run that put the Japanese ahead, and his home run off Jose Garcia broke the game open an inning later.Matsuda declared himself a free agent after the 2015 season, and reportedly met with several Major League teams, including the Padres. He eventually re-signed with the Hawks on a four-year deal that was reportedly worth around $13.3 million.Matsuda is playing in his second World Baseball Classic. He hit .333 with a home run and five RBIs in seven games in the 2013 tournament. One game into this year's Classic, Matsuda is off to a tremendous start.
Danny Knobler/MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
