Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- Yusei Kikuchi, a Japanese high- school pitcher who can throw 94 mile-an-hour fastballs, has decided to turn down offers from U.S. major league baseball teams because he prefers to play in Japan, the Yomiuri newspaper said.

“I want to move forward to the world stage after becoming the No. 1 pitcher in Japan,” 18-year-old Kikuchi was quoted by the Yomiuri as telling reporters today. He received offers from eight U.S. teams, as well as all 12 professional baseball teams in Japan, the report said.

U.S. teams have signed more than three dozen of Japan’s top players since 1994, often at much higher salaries. The Boston Red Sox in 2006 signed Daisuke Matsuzaka, who became a national hero pitching his team to the Koshien championship in 1998, to a six-year, $52 million deal that dwarfed with his one-year, 330 million yen ($3.6 million) local contract.

Signing at home may prevent Kikuchi from a U.S. move for nine years. Nippon Professional Baseball in 1998 introduced a system mandating that players with less than nine years of experience can go to the U.S. only if their team auctions their rights. The Red Sox paid the Seibu Lions $51 million just to negotiate with Matsuzaka.

To contact the reporter on this story: Aya Takada in Tokyo atakada2@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: October 25, 2009 03:05 EDT