Shogo Akiyama

Shogo Akiyama (秋山 翔吾, Akiyama Shōgo, Japanese pronunciation: [akiꜜjama ɕoꜜːɡo], born April 16, 1988) is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Saitama Seibu Lions.

Shogo Akiyama
Akiyama with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
Hiroshima Toyo Carp – No. 9
Outfielder
Born: (1988-04-16) April 16, 1988
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: April 12, 2011, for the Saitama Seibu Lions
MLB: July 24, 2020, for the Cincinnati Reds
NPB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Batting average.303
Home runs116
Runs batted in513
MLB statistics
(through 2021 season)
Batting average.224
Home runs0
Runs batted in21
Teams
Career highlights and awards

NPB Records

  • Most hits in a single season (216) (2015)
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
WBSC Premier12
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Tokyo Team

Career

Saitama Seibu Lions
Akiyama batting for the Lions

Saitama Seibu Lions selected him with the third selection in the 2010 NPB draft.[1]

In 2015, Akiyama set the NPB record for hits in a single season with 216,[2] surpassing the 214 collected by Matt Murton of the Hanshin Tigers in 2010. He also batted a career-best .359 average for the year. In 2017, he led the NPB with a .322 average. Over the last 5 seasons of his career in NPB (2015–2019), Akiyama batted a .321 average[3] and appeared in 5 consecutive NPB All-Star games.

On October 29, 2019, Akiyama held a press conference to announce that he had filed for free agency for the rights to play overseas in Major League Baseball (MLB).[4]

Cincinnati Reds
Akiyama with the Cincinnati Reds

On January 6, 2020, Akiyama signed a 3-year, $21 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds. At the time, the Reds were the last team to have never had a Japanese-born player play for them.[5] On July 24, 2020, Akiyama made his MLB debut.[6] During the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Akiyama hit .245/.357/.297 and made no defensive errors in 54 games. He was released by the Reds on April 5, 2022.[7]

San Diego Padres

On April 30, 2022, Akiyama signed a minor league deal with the San Diego Padres. On May 9 he was assigned to the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Triple-A affiliate of the Padres. On June 16 he was released by El Paso.

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

On June 27, 2022, Akiyama signed a three-year contract with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.[8] Akiyama was given uniform number 9, which was once worn by the legendary player and former manager of the Carp, Koichi Ogata.

In 2022, Akiyama played in 44 games as an outfielder and batted .265 with 5 home runs and 26 RBIs.[9]

On April 15, 2023, Akiyama hit a game-ending home run (Sayonara home run) in the ninth inning, giving the Carp a 5-4 win over Yakult Swallows. It was the first game-ending home run for Akiyama in almost 11 years.[10]

International career

Akiyama represented the Japan national baseball team in the 2012 exhibition games against Cuba, 2013 exhibition games against Chinese Taipei, 2015 WBSC Premier12, 2016 exhibition games against Chinese Taipei, 2016 exhibition games against Mexico and Netherlands, 2017 World Baseball Classic and 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.[11]

On October 1, 2019, Akiyama was selected to the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[12] But on October 31, he broke his right toe due to a hit by pitch (HBP) in a practice game with Canada,[13] and he withdrew from the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[14]

See also

References
  1. "埼玉西武ライオンズ 選択選手一覧". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  2. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2015/10/01/baseball/japanese-baseball/lions-akiyama-sets-single-season-hit-record/#.VrrIB1ZlxA9 Japan Times. Lions' Akiyama Sets Single Season Hits Mark. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  3. "Report: Reds sign Japanese star Shogo Akiyama". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  4. "秋山選手フリーエージェント(FA)権利行使についての会見". 埼玉西武ライオンズ 公式サイト (in Japanese). October 29, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  5. "Reds sign Japan's Shogo Akiyama to 3-year, $21M deal". www.espn.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  6. "秋山翔吾、メジャーデビュー初安打に同僚から祝福続々 シェービングクリームの洗礼". Full-Count (in Japanese). July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  7. "Reds Release Shogo Akiyama; Expected to Select Drury, Garcia, Farmer".
  8. "Former Reds outfielder Shogo Akiyama to return to NPB with Carp". 27 June 2022.
  9. 一般社団法人日本野球機構. "秋山 翔吾（広島東洋カープ） | 個人年度別成績". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-03-31.
  10. "Baseball: Carp's Shogo Akiyama smacks down Swallows with sayonara homer". Mainichi Daily News. 2023-04-15. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
  11. "「2018日米野球」出場選手6名、コーチングスタッフが決定". 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). August 20, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  12. "「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.
  13. "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) 侍ジャパン秋山が右足に死球、５回守備で交代". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  14. "Japan national baseball team news (Japanese) 「ENEOS 侍ジャパンシリーズ2019」、「第2回 WBSC プレミア12」の日本チーム出場選手変更について". Japan national baseball team Official site (in Japanese). November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
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