Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Yu Darvish took to the bullpen with a power-laden display of pitching Sunday as spring training got under way for all 12 clubs in Japanese baseball ahead of the 2009 season.

Darvish, who is a top candidate starter to represent Japan in the 2009 World Baseball Classic in March, got down to serious business throwing 125 pitches.

"I feel like I am already at the level of about halfway through spring training or almost where I would be at the end," said Darvish, who arrived at the site on Jan. 28 ahead of his team. "I am glad that I could throw this many pitches."