If you’re interested in playing baseball in Japan, the Japan Winter League is the perfect place to start. 

The JWL is a showcase league running from November 23-December 24th. The purpose of the league is to get players exposure to professional opportunities throughout Japan. 

Every game played will be livestreamed with Rapsodo data so that scouts can follow the games remotely. With scouts representing teams from the MLB, NPB, and Japanese Independent Leagues with on-the-spot signing power, the JWL is the perfect platform for you to get signed at the next level.

In this episode, Dave and Jimmy interview league president Issei Washizaki—via translator Hiro Sakanshi—and find out everything about the Japan Winter League that an interested player would want to know.

Get Signed in Japan via the Japan Winter League

Lenny Pietersz is a native of Curaçao who has always dreamed of playing professional baseball. He recently achieved that goal, but he had to invest in himself by flying to Japan to play in the Japan Winter League in November of 2022. After two junior college baseball seasons in the U.S.A., Lenny signed up for the California Winter League in hopes to gain a pro contract. After that didn't pan out, he signed up with Baseball Jobs Overseas and soon found himself playing in second division Austria. Lenny loved this experience but continued to pursue his dream of playing in a true professional league. That is when he discovered the Japan Winter League. In this interview with Lenny, he talks about his experience at the Japan Winter League and how that led to apro contact with an independent professional baseball team in Japan.

Japan Winter League 2023 Registration: 

https://www.japanleague.co.jp/
 
BBJO discount code: BBJO2023

This Player Signed in Japan with No Prior Professional Experience

In this episode, we talk to Ben Meyer about how to work your way up the professional baseball ladder. After receiving limited playing time at a D3 college, Ben didn’t have many options. He played in a men’s league in Los Angeles where he developed as a pitcher and then flew himself to the Netherlands to play for a 2nd Division Dutch team. After a few successful seasons, he worked his way onto the top team in Europe, the Amsterdam Pirates where he won a championship. He then headed to the Japan Winter League where he earned a contract with the Ishikari Red Phoenix for the 2024 season where he recently won the championship.

From Mens League Baseball in L.A. to Japan

Andy Cosgrove lost his love for the game while playing professional baseball for the Twins and in the Frontier League due to the business side of the game. He then discovered the opportunities that exist to travel the world and play baseball and jumped all over it. The pureness of the overseas game was exactly what Andy needed to fall back in love with it. At first, his plan was to play one or two seasons and hang them up, but Andy found himself playing his best baseball and living at a location aboard that he describes as the best "day-to-day living" he had ever experienced. Andy then wound up starring on a hit reality TV show while playing abroad, boosting his personal brand and leading to his next big break that will see him playing in front of crowds as large as 80,000 in 2025.

Released pro goes overseas, ends up on a reality show, now plays stadiums

After graduating from Holy Names University (NCAA II) with average numbers, Daniel Catalan discovered opportunities to continue playing baseball overseas. However, securing an offer proved challenging. Determined to keep his career alive, he took matters into his own hands—flying to Spain and walking on with a team. This was just one of many investments in himself that helped him climb the ranks, eventually leading to a role as a hitting coach in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. As of early 2025, Daniel is preparing for his second season with the CTBC Brothers—the reigning CPBL champions—turning his passion for baseball into a full-time career and living his dream.

How Daniel Catalan got a coaching job in the Chinese Professional Baseball League

It was a Friday on GCR so that meant Griffin would be able to take Glenn around the horn as we cover some baseball topics in the week that were non-pertinent to Baltimore, so naturally, we start by talking about hockey and basketball! As we talked international baseball competition and Pete Rose being in the news cycle this week...

This Week In (the rest of) Baseball (March 7, 2025)

If you would like to make overseas baseball a long-term career and lifestyle, we recommend taking a page out of Tim Brown's playbook. Since 2012, Tim has been traveling the world playing baseball, foregoing a promising independent professional baseball career for overseas baseball. Today at 37 years old, he continues to seek new adventures and new countries every season. To-date has played in Australia x 5, Austria, Argentina, Croatia x 2, Czech Republic, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa, x 2 and Sweden. Most recently he spent a few months coaching in Egypt during the 2024-2025 off season and has now signed to play in France in 2025. In this episode, Tim shares with us why he has decided to make this a life choice and how he is able to continue competing at a high level. One thing for sure is that whenever the dust settles on Tim Brown's career, he will have made a major impact on the global game and fondly remembered by all those who were lucky enough to meet him.

 Fun fact: Tim is our longstanding active member and is now part of the BBJO staff.

12 years and 12 countries: Tim Brown describes his passion for travel and baseball

Trent Saharek graduated from a small baseball college program out of Minnesota and desperately wanted to play baseball overseas. After registering for a membership at Baseball Jobs Overseas, he still struggled to receive an offer because he was an outfielder, which are not in much demand to import, and was from a small DIII program. Until one day, Trent made a tweak to his profile at the guidance of Jimmy, and the next day he received his first offer. He jumped on the opportunity and never looked back, playing multiple seasons overseas in Germany, Australia, and Belgium. What was the tweak to his profile that he made? What steps did he take as an outfielder to continue to receive offers? You will have to listen to find out. Also, you don't want to miss his story of making a comeback to European baseball years after hanging them up and creating his best baseball memory in the process.

How this outfielder from a small college baseball program built a career overseas

Glenn Clark Radio is live every weekday 10am-noon. Listen at PressBoxOnline.com/Radio, watch at Facebook.com/PressBoxSports.

The Baseball Jobs Overseas Podcast features the stories of professional baseball players and coaches who have taken their careers overseas. The purpose of the podcast is to shed light on all the opportunities that exist overseas within the game and the lifestyles that come with it. Hosts David Burns (Canada) and Jimmy Jensen (USA) both live in Salzburg, Austria, and are the key people behind http://www.BaseballJobsOverseas.com, a platform where players and coaches can connect with clubs around the world.

New tracks tagged #International Baseball