Shun Yamaguchi

Shun Yamaguchi (山口 俊, Yamaguchi Shun, born July 11, 1987) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Yokohama BayStars/Yokohama DeNA BayStars and the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Shun Yamaguchi
Yamaguchi with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020
Toronto Blue Jays – No. 1
Pitcher
Born: (1987-07-11) July 11, 1987
Ōita, Japan
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: June 29, 2006, for the Yokohama BayStars
MLB: July 26, 2020, for the Toronto Blue Jays
NPB statistics
(through 2019 season)
Win–loss record64–58
Earned run average3.35
Strikeouts1,053
MLB statistics
(through August 12, 2020)
Win–loss record0–2
Earned run average9.00
Strikeouts6
Teams
Career highlights and awards
NPB
MLB
  • First MLB player who had never played any baseball teams in the United States

He is the first MLB player who had never played any baseball teams in the United States.[1]

Career
Yamaguchi pitching for the Yomiuri Giants

Nippon Professional Baseball

The Yokohama BayStars selected Yamaguchi with the first round in the 2005 NPB draft.[2] He began his professional career with the Yokohama BayStars in 2006. He played for Yokohama from 2006 through 2016. He signed as a free agent with the Yomiuri Giants in 2017.

In 2019, he posted a 15–4 record (.789 winning percentage) that led Japan's Central League, along with a 2.91 ERA and 188 strikeouts over 170 innings.[3][4] After the season, on October 1, 2019, he was selected for the Japan national baseball team at the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[5] After the 2019 WBSC Premier12, on November 18, 2019, Giants held a press conference announcing the team has allowed Yamaguchi to enter the posting system to play in Major League Baseball (MLB).[6][7][3] Paperwork for the posting was completed on December 3, 2019 and Yamaguchi became the first player in Giants history to be posted.[4]

Major League Baseball

On December 28, 2019, Yamaguchi signed a two-year, $6.35 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and will wear uniform # 1, being only the fourth Toronto pitcher to ever wear a single digit uniform number.[8][9] On January 15, 2020, He held a press conference in Toronto.[10][11][12] After the press conference, he stayed in Toronto,[13] and attended a fan meeting.[14] On March 26, he returned to Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] He returned to Toronto after the MLB announcement of the 2020 regular season.

On July 27, 2020, Yamaguchi made his MLB debut.[16] He became the first Japanese player who made his MLB debut as a Blue Jays member.[1]

Playing style

Yamaguchi is a 6 ft 2 in, 225 lb right-handed pitcher. He throws a fastball averaging 90 mph (tops out at 95 mph[17]) as a starter. The forkball is his primary secondary pitch and he also has a slider.[18][19]

Personal life

His father is Hisashi Yamaguchi, a former champion sumo wrestler.[20]

On December 25, 2014, Yamaguchi married Japanese gravure idol and actress Kaori Takagi (高木 加織, Takagi Kaori, born July 23, 1985). The marriage was only announced on March 14, 2015 by Takagi in her official blog and less than a week later, their daughter was born on March 20, 2015. Takagi gave birth to their second child, a son, on August 20, 2016.[21][22]

Yamaguchi was suspended for the second half of the 2017 season, after being charged with causing bodily harm to a hospital security guard as well as heavy damage to hospital property, while intoxicated. He reportedly was at the hospital to receive treatment on his pitching hand.[23]

References
  1. 宇根夏樹 (January 11, 2020). "山口俊は史上４人目の「カナダでデビューする日本人選手」になる？　日本人メジャー初出場の球場にまつわるトリビア". The DIGEST (in Japanese). Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  2. "横浜ベイスターズ 選択選手一覧". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  3. "Giants pitcher Shun Yamaguchi to pursue MLB dream through posting system". The Japan Times. November 18, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.=
  4. NEWS, KYODO. "Baseball: Giants complete posting application for pitcher Shun Yamaguchi". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  5. "「ENEOS 侍ジャパンシリーズ2019」出場選手決定について". 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). October 1, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  6. "山口俊投手がポスティングによる大リーグ移籍希望　球団も容認・支援". 読売巨人軍公式サイト (in Japanese). November 18, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  7. Mike Axisa (November 18, 2019). "MLB hot stove: Japanese right-hander Shun Yamaguchi will be posted for MLB teams this offseason". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  8. "Yamaguchi's deal with Blue Jays finalized". MLB.com. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  9. "Blue Jays officially sign Shun Yamaguchi to two-year deal". Sportsnet. December 28, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  10. "山口俊の"爆笑"「お尻…」発言に地元記者も好感「ヤマグチ超面白い」「会見のハイライト」". Full-Count (in Japanese). January 16, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  11. "山口俊、入団会見でメディアの爆笑誘う「お尻を出すのが恥ずかしくなって…」". Full-Count (in Japanese). January 16, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  12. "ブルージェイズ移籍の山口俊が入団会見　先発希望を強調「ローテ勝ち取るつもりで」". Full-Count (in Japanese). January 16, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  13. "山口、爆笑ブルージェイズ入団会見　"どすこい"相撲トークで会心の初日". スポニチアネックス (in Japanese). January 17, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  14. "ブルージェイズ山口、記念撮影に行列　ファン感謝祭". 日刊スポーツ (in Japanese). January 19, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  15. "山口俊が日本に帰国　新型コロナの感染拡大で". サンスポ (in Japanese). March 26, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  16. "山口俊、延長10回メジャー初登板も初黒星　筒香嘉智は途中出場で同点劇を演出". Full-Count (in Japanese). July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  17. https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/201806130000091.html
  18. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/11/mlbtr-poll-predicting-largest-guarantee-among-npb-postings.html
  19. https://www.sanspo.com/baseball/news/20191121/gia19112115420007-n1.html
  20. "Starting pitchers announced, Premier12 super round ready to go". WBSC. October 11, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
  21. "山口俊", Wikipedia (in Japanese), 2019-12-29, retrieved 2019-12-29
  22. "巨人・山口俊の妻は高木加織（グラビアアイドル）だった【画像あり】". マネートーク！ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-12-29.
  23. Manny Randhawa (November 18, 2019). "Yomiuri Giants post RHP Yamaguchi". MLB.com. Retrieved November 18, 2019.
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