New Cubs reliever Ryan Brasier admittedly hasn’t been to Wrigley Field too often and isn’t too familiar with many of his new teammates.

But he does have a unique connection with one of them: Seiya Suzuki.

The pair played together with Hiroshima in Japan in 2017, when Brasier was a reliever with the Toyo Carp and Suzuki was an up-and-coming outfielder.

[MORE: Ryan Brasier relishes new opportunity in Cubs bullpen]

That year, Suzuki was a 22-year-old who followed up his breakthrough 2016 campaign with another solid campaign. In 115 games, Suzuki slashed .300/.389/.547 (.936 OPS) with 26 home runs and 90 RBI. He finished in the top 10 in the league in home runs and RBI and had the best OPS among hitters.

“You could just tell by watching him play that he wasn’t gonna be in Japan much longer,” Brasier said in an exclusive one-on-one interview with Marquee Sports Network. “The ball sounded different off his bat — just watching him play, you could tell he was gonna be in the U.S. soon.”

Four years later, Brasier’s prediction came true.

Suzuki was posted to American teams after the 2021 campaign and his free agency came at a unique time — the league and players were negotiating the latest collective bargaining agreement and players were locked out in December. When the two sides reached an agreement and the lockout was lifted, a frantic free-agency period ensued, especially for Suzuki.

Brasier’s team at the time, the Red Sox, reached out to him for more background on Suzuki. But the two wouldn’t be teammates in Boston.

“But really, good player, good dude, from what I remember, just even with the language barrier and stuff,” Brasier added. “But yeah, I’m excited to play with him again.”

Suzuki has flashed that potential at times in the States — he has a lifetime .824 OPS in his three seasons with the Cubs but has struggled to stay healthy. The 30-year-old has missed time each of his first three seasons in MLB and has yet to play over 138 games in a season.