Takuya Kinoshita

Takuya Kinoshita (木下 拓哉, Kinoshita Takuya, born December 18, 1991 in Kochi City, Kochi, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays catcher for the Chunichi Dragons.

Takuya Kinoshita
Chunichi Dragons – No. 35
Catcher
Born: (1991-12-18) December 18, 1991
Kochi, Kochi, Japan
Bats: Right Throws: Right
debut
5 August, 2016, for the Chunichi Dragons
Career statistics
(through 2019)
Batting average.206
Home runs4
RBI16
Teams

Early career

In Spring of his second year at Kochi High School, Kinoshita solidified himself as starting catcher for the team and in his 2nd and 3rd year he appeared with the school at the summer koshien.[1]

He attended Hosei University in Tokyo and in his third year was selected alongside future Chunichi Dragons team-mate Shota Sugiyama as catcher in the best 9 of the Autumn 2012 Tokyo Big6 Baseball League.[2] While at Hosei University, he formed a battery with current Yokohama DeNA Baystars pitchers Kenta Ishida and Kazuki Mishima.[1]

Upon graduation, Kinoshita was picked up by Toyota Motors where in his first year with the industrial league team, he helped them to victory in the 2014 All-Japan Amateur Baseball Tournament.[3]

At the 2015 NPB Draft, he was selected as the third pick for the Chunichi Dragons and on 4 December 2015, signed a contract for ¥10,000,000 per year with a ¥65,000,000 sign-on bonus.[3] Kinoshita was given the number 35 upon joining the Dragons.[4]

Professional career

Chunichi Dragons

2016

On 15 July, along with teammates Shun Ishikawa and Shota Tomonaga, he was selected for the Western League representative team for the 2016 Fresh All-Stars game in Okayama.[5] He came in as a substitute catcher late in the game and was caught in center field in his only at-bat.[6]

On 5 August, Kinoshita made his first appearance for the Dragons first team off the bench against the Yomiuri Giants in a 5-0 loss.[7]

On 7 August, he made his first starting debut against the Yokohama DeNA Baystars in a combined rookie battery with number 1 2015 draft pick Shinnosuke Ogasawara; the first time in 18 years (the last being Kenshin Kawakami and Fumihiro Suzuki in 1998).[8] Kinoshita then struck his first home-run in pro ball in his first at-bat of the game to give the Dragons a 1-0 lead.[9]

2017-2018

Due to the poor form of 2016 regular catcher, Shōta Sugiyama, Kinoshita saw more time behind the plate, playing in 51 games however due to injuries, the rise of Masato Matsui and the addition of Shōta Ōno via free agency, limited his appearances to 9 in 2018.

2019

Under the new management of Tsuyoshi Yoda and catching staff Tsutomu Itō and Takeshi Nakamura, Kinoshita was on the starting day roster and rotated through much of the season alongside Takuma Katō and Ōno making 39 appearances in the first team.

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References
  1. "中日３位アマＮＯ１捕手木下拓哉「成長できる球団」(Chunichi's third pick amateur #1 catcher Takuya Kinoshita "A team where I can grow")". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 22 October 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  2. "東京六大学野球リーグ戦ベストナイン一覧(Tokyo Big6 Baseball League Best Nine)". Tokyo Big 6 Baseball League (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  3. "中日３位木下正捕手への誓い　球界の松ちゃんになる(Chunichi's 3rd Pick Kinoshita vows to be regular catcher; wants to become baseball's Matsu-chan)". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 5 December 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  4. "2015年ドラフト指名選手入団発表(2015 Draft Pick Team Welcome Announcement)". Chunichi Dragons Official Website (in Japanese). 11 December 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
  5. "出場者（ウエスタン・リーグ選抜）(Representatives (Western League)". Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  6. "2016年度フレッシュオールスター・ゲーム　試合結果(2016 Fresh All Stars Game Results)". Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  7. "Wednesday, August 3, 2016". Nippon Professional Baseball. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  8. "中日18年ぶり新人バッテリー、珍事ＤｅＮＡも…" (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  9. "中日ドラ3ルーキー木下、プロ初スタメンで初本塁打" (in Japanese). Full-Count. 7 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
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