Hanshin Tigers

The Hanshin Tigers are western Japan’s historic counterweight to Tokyo’s Yomiuri Japan in eastern Japan, but has had little success in the Japan Series, winning once (1985) in six appearances.

The Tigers are one of three CL clubs whose parent company owns their ballpark, Hanshin Koshien Stadium, but even so, the club plays second-fiddle to Japan’s two big high school baseball tournaments. The stadium was build to house the national high school championship and is NPB’s oldest main park.

The Tigers annually hold their home opener at Kyocera Dome Osaka, because of March’s high school spring invitational and play most of their
August home games there as well due to the national championship. This extended stay away from Koshien is popularly known in Japan as “shi no rodo” or the road trip of death.

Koshien’s unusual configuration, short distances at the foul poles, but huge spacious power allies in left and right are the result of its original design as a multipurpose stadium, primarily for baseball and rugby.

  • Manager: Akihiro Yano
  • 2019 Finish: 3rd. Defeated DeNA in the first stage of the CL playoffs before losing to the Giants in the final stage.

Manager’s record: Akihiro Yano

YearTeamGWLTPctFinish
2019Tigers14369686.5033
Prev.3 yrs2042169.4864,2,6

Yano, who began his career as a Chunichi Dragon, came to the Tigers in a trade after the 1997 season. With the Dragons, he was a backup catcher and reserve outfielder. He became a regular catcher at Koshien after a trade that sent his Tigers twin, catcher-outfielder Koichi Sekikawa to the Dragons.

Key players

  • Yusuke Oyama 3B, 1B
  • Koji Chikamoto CF
  • Kento Itohara 2B, 3B, SS
  • Ryutaro Umeno C
  • Jefry Marte 1B
  • Seiya Kinami SS
  • Yoshio Itoi RF
  • Kosuke Fukudome LF
  • Shun Takayama RF, LF

Strengths and weaknesses

Offensive rankings

  • Best in the League: stolen bases
  • Second best in the league: triples, SB pct, strikeouts, GDP
  • Next to worst in the league: home runs, walks
  • Worst in the league: runs, Slug, Iso Power

Rankings against opponents’ offense

  • Best in the League: doubles, home runs, SB pct, walks
  • Second best in the league: triples, SB pct, strikeouts, GDP
  • Next to worst in the league: home runs, walks

Other rankings

  • Best in the league: ERA (4th-straight season at No. 1 or No. 2), holds
  • Next to best in the league: saves
  • Worst in the league: errors
  • and… the Tigers were 3rd in sacrifices and the number of intentional walks issued

Roster

Notes: Names in all caps are imported players; names with asterisks still qualify as rookies, hyperlinks are to the player’s English language page.

PosNameNo.Prev years
PAtsushi Nomi1415
PJunya Nishi*150
PYuki Nishi1611
PYuta Iwasada176
PKosuke Baba*182
PShintaro Fujinami197
PKenichi Nakata2015
PMinoru Iwata2114
PKyuji Fujikawa2218
PLu Yen-Ching*262
PYuya Onaka273
PTaiki Ono283
PHaruto Takahashi292
PKeisuke Takano305
PMasaki Tanigawa*342
PHiroto Saiki353
PMasumi Hamachi*363
PMasaki Oyokawa*370
PShungo Fukunaga*403
PJON EDWARDS420
PKoki Moriya435
PTakumi Akiyama4610
PRiku Kawahara*471
PYukiya Saito*481
PJOE GUNKEL490
PKoyo Aoyagi504
PYuya Iida566>> Traded to Orix Aug. 28
PKeisuke Kobayashi563<< Traded from Orix Aug. 28
PAtsushi Mochizuki614
PKentaro Kuwahara6412
PAtsuki Yuasa*651
PIppei Ogawa*660
PSuguru Iwazaki676
PHiroya Shimamoto695
PROBERT SUAREZ754
PONELKI GARCIA772
PKazuo Ito927
PYuya Yokoyama1154
PMasaki Ishii*1210
PJoichiro Maki*1262
CSeishiro Sakamoto124
CKenya Nagasaka*393
CRyutaro Umeno446
CTaichi Okazaki5715
CKento Fujita*590
CFumihito Haraguchi947
CYuya Katayama*950
IFHiroki Uemoto0011
IFFumiya Hojo27
IFYusuke Oyama33
IFTakahiro Kumagai*42
IFJEFRY MARTE311
IFKento Itohara333
IFRyuhei Obata*381
IFJUSTIN BOUR410
IFJo Endo*450
IFNaomasa Yokawa556
IFFumiya Araki589
IFKai Ueda625
IFKosuke Fujitani*1252
OFKoji Chikamoto51
OFYoshio Itoi716
OFKosuke Fukudome816
OFShun Takayama94
OFTaiga Egoshi255
OFKota Inoue*320
OFHayata Ito518
OFJERRY SANDS520
OFKairi Shimada*532
OFMasahiro Nakatani609
OFYutaro Itayama634
OFShunsuke Fujikawa6810
OFDan Onodera*1270
OFKota Okuyama*1280

2019 team data

Batters

NameBatsGPAABRH2B3BHRRBISBCSBBSOAvgOBPSlugwOBA
Koji Chikamoto*L14264058681159207942361531110.271.313.375.302
Yusuke OyamaR143587538521393311476303998.258.312.401.314
Kento ItoharaL14357249166131204245656070.267.353.336.313
Ryutaro UmenoR129492433491152239591433483.266.326.393.315
Yoshio ItoiL10344438245120221542955263.314.403.416.364
JEFRY MARTER10541234936992001249025173.284.381.444.365
Kosuke FukudomeL10440334839891611047004985.256.347.394.331
Seiya Kinami*L1133903633295182432201877.262.302.355.288
Shun TakayamaL1053002712573120529932456.269.336.369.313
Fumiya HojoR82211174184370520202340.247.338.374.322
Masahiro NakataniR62131116142150619001237.181.264.379.284
Hiroki UemotoR6211910410204016501137.192.267.260.245
Takashi ToritaniL74105929193104101216.207.298.261.261
Fumihito HaraguchiR4394878244011100423.276.309.356.296
Yangervis SolarteB208069613304900913.188.275.406.295
Yuki NishiR26604429200400318.205.255.250.234
Naomasa YokawaR28605536103400419.109.169.291.193
EFREN NAVARROL1545431920020029.209.244.256.229
Seishiro SakamotoR2044402700230018.175.195.325.213
Koyo AoyagiR25433700000100119.000.0260000.018
Kai UedaR813733228001212218.242.286.333.277
ONELKI GARCIAL2133301400010009.133.133.133.120
Haruto TakahashiL19313013000000013.100.100.100.090
Minoru IwataL14272200000000217.000.0830000.058
Takumi AkiyamaL1019160200010013.125.176.125.147
RANDY MESSENGERR14191800000000010.000.0000000.000
Taiga EgoshiR4916158100001019.067.125.067.100
Yuta IwasadaL812110000000015.000.0830000.058
Fumiya ArakiL9994110000104.111.111.222.144
Atsushi MochizukiR8880000000002.000.0000000.000
Hiroto SaikiR3660000000005.000.0000000.000
Shunsuke FujikawaR6660000000001.000.0000000.000
Kairi Shimada*L7542110000011.250.400.500.400
Shintaro FujinamiR1110000000001.000.0000000.000
Masumi Hamachi*R211101000000001.00010001.000.900
Suguru IwazakiL48110000000001.000.0000000.000
Kenya Nagasaka*R31121001100001.00010004.0002000
Noriharu YamasakiR2110000000001.000.0000000.000

Pitchers

NameThrGCGSOWLSHW PctIPHHRBBKRERERA
Yuki NishiR261110800.556172 1/3159123611260562.92
Koyo AoyagiR25119900.500143 1/3145144210056503.14
Haruto TakahashiL19003901.250109 2/311593812556463.78
ONELKI GARCIAL21116800.429103 2/31238407966544.69
RANDY MESSENGERR14103700.300797111385545414.67
Minoru IwataL14103400.42977 2/39013214346394.52
Hiroya ShimamotoL6300401111.000.00059 1/3424146013111.67
PIERCE JOHNSONR580023040.40058 2/334213911291.38
Kyuji FujikawaR5600411623.80056293328311111.77
RAFAEL DOLISR5600541910.55655 1/3361115016132.11
Koki Moriya*R57002207.50054453175319183.00
Suguru IwazakiL4800300261.000.00053 2/324517581161.01
Takumi AkiyamaR10004300.57150 2/3565123527244.26
Atsushi NomiL510012018.33344375244121214.30
Yuta IwasadaL8002400.33340 1/3434153319184.02
Atsushi MochizukiR8001100.50031 1/3334162615144.02
Masumi Hamachi*R21002100.6672835482721196.11
Hiroto SaikiR3002100.66715 1/3200514884.70
Taiki OnoR14000105.00011 2/3110136332.31
Masaki Tanigawa*R4000000.0007 1/38034433.68
Yuya OnakaR5000000.0005 2/36156446.35
Keisuke TakanoR4000001.0005 2/36016434.76
Yosuke OkamotoR3000000.0005 1/36234558.44
Kentaro KuwaharaR70020031.000.000510136959.00
Shintaro FujinamiR1000000.0004 1/34063112.08
Kosuke Baba*R2000000.0003 1/373144410.80
Yuya IidaL30010001.000.0003 1/350564410.80
Shungo Fukunaga*R3000000.000261135522.50
Yukiya Saito*R1000000.00021032000.00
Tsuyoshi IshizakiR2000000.0001 1/32010116.75
Akifumi TakahashiL1000000.0000 1/30000000.00

writing & research on Japanese baseball

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