Chihiro Kaneko will need more space in a crowded trophy case after the winners of the Central and Pacific Leagues' Best IX Awards were announced Thursday
The Orix Buffaloes' ace, who won this year's Sawamura Award as Japan's outstanding starting pitcher as well as his first Golden Glove for fielding excellence, was a runaway winner in the 2014 voting, pulling in 232 of 243 votes cast by members of the media for the PL's top pitcher.
Kaneko, who is in a commanding position to demand Orix to allow him to go to the major leagues this offseason, was one of 12 first-time winners on the honor roll, six in each league.