Masahiro Tanaka could be the next Jose Fernandez.
That is former Mets manager Bobby Valentine’s assessment, having watched Tanaka pitch in Japan’s Pacific League.
“He pitches like Jose Fernandez,” Valentine told The Post on Friday, referring to the Marlins ace and NL Rookie of the Year. “I think [Tanaka] has similar stuff and similar competitiveness. He is battle-proven, and there is nothing you wouldn’t like about him. He would be a credit to anybody’s staff.”
Tanaka, who went 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last season, was posted by the Rakuten Golden Eagles earlier this week, leaving him free to sign with any major league club that submits a posting fee capped at $20 million.
The Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Red Sox and Rangers are among the teams that could sign Tanaka, who is expected to receive at least $100 million.
Valentine, who managed Chiba Lotte in Japan’s Pacific League, saw Tanaka as a rookie in 2007 and then over the next two seasons. Valentine said his club wanted to draft Tanaka, but lost the lottery for the top pick.
“His split-fingered fastball is the best in the world,” Valentine said.
“He’s all about aggressiveness, competitiveness. He got put on the big stage as a young guy, where he was in the [Japanese] major leagues as a 19-year-old and he played for all those international teams, WBC, and was on staff with all the big boys and always held his own.”
Any adjusting Tanaka needs in coming to the U.S. probably will be more societal than baseball-related, according to Valentine. But there is one noticeable baseball difference.
“The mounds are a big adjustment for guys coming over from Japan because the mounds over there are soft,” Valentine said. “That is a big adjustment.”
For which team will Tanaka pitch next season?
“If I was him, I would pitch in the National League,” Valentine said. “I would pitch on the West Coast and I would pitch where the weather isn’t going to be a factor.”