Tetsuto Yamada

Tetsuto Yamada (山田 哲人, Yamada Tetsuto, born July 16, 1992 in Toyooka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese baseball infielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[1]

Tetsuto Yamada
Yamada with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
Tokyo Yakult Swallows – No. 1
Second baseman
Born: (1992-07-16) July 16, 1992
Toyooka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
debut
April 5, 2012, for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
NPB statistics
(through 2020 Season)
Batting average.293
Hits1153
Home runs214
Runs batted in635
Stolen bases176
Teams
Career highlights and awards
NPB
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
Summer Olympics
2020 Tokyo Team
WBSC Premier12
2015 Tokyo Team
2019 Tokyo Team

Professional career

Yamada was selected by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the first round of the 2010 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[2] He spent the 2011 season with Yakult's farm team.

On April 5, 2012, at age 19, Yamada made his NPB debut. He was limited to 24 games and hit one home run with a .250/.327/.364 in 49 plate appearances. In 2013, Yamada played in 94 games and greatly improved his hitting performance, striking out 37 times and walking 39 times. He hit 3 home runs, stole 9 bases, and hit .283/.354/.357. In 2014, Yamada had a breakout season in his first full season as an everyday player. In 143 games, he hit 29 home runs, 39 doubles and 89 RBI, stole 15 bases and hit .324/.403/.539, and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.

In 2015, Yamada was named Central League MVP after leading the league in home runs (38), doubles (38), runs scored (119), and stolen bases (34). This marked the first time any NPB player led the league in home runs and stolen bases in the same year. He also notched 100 RBI and slashed .329/.416/.610, and was named an All-Star for the second straight season. The Swallows reached the Japan Series in the same season, and in Game 3 of the series, Yamada hit three home runs in consecutive plate appearances.[3] In assessing his MVP season in October 2015, the Japan Times wrote, "Yamada had a 2015 the likes of which is seldom seen in Japanese baseball."[4]

In 2016, he followed up his MVP campaign with another great season, hitting 38 home runs, 26 doubles, and notching 102 RBI. He also scored 102 runs, stole 30 bases, hit .304/.425/.607, and was named an All-Star for the third straight year. In 2017 with the team, Yamada batted .247/.364/.435 with 24 home runs and 78 RBI in 143 games with the team. In 2018, Yamada was selected to the 2018 NPB All-Star game, his fourth selection of his career.[5] On the season, he hit .315/.432/.582 with 34 home runs and 89 RBI.

Yamada earned All-Star honors for the fifth time in his career in 2019, and finished the year with a .271/.401/.560 slash line and 35 home runs and 98 RBI in 142 games with the team. In the COVID-19 pandemic delayed season in 2020, Yamada played in 94 games with the team, and logged a batting line of .254/.346/.419 with 12 home runs and 52 RBI. Yamada hit .269/.359/.561 with 25 home runs and 65 RBI in 79 games to begin the 2021 season, and was named an All-Star for the sixth time.[6]

International career

Yamada represented the Japan national baseball team in the 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series, 2015 exhibition games against Europe, 2015 WBSC Premier12, 2016 exhibition games against Chinese Taipei, 2016 exhibition games against Mexico and Netherlands, 2017 World Baseball Classic, 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series and 2019 WBSC Premier12.

On October 10, 2018, he was selected at the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.[7]

On October 1, 2019, he was selected to Team Japan for the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[8]

On June 16, 2021, he was selected to Team Japan for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[9]

References
  1. "Yamada,Tetsuto（Tokyo Yakult Swallows） | Players". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  2. "2010年 新人選手選択会議(ドラフト会議) 東京ヤクルトスワローズ 選択選手一覧". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese).
  3. Nagatsuka, Kaz (2015-11-25). "Yakult's Yamada, Softbank's Yanigata win MVP Awards". The Japan Times Online. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  4. Coskrey, Jason (2015-10-28). "Yamada Stakes Claim as Top Player". The Japan Times Online. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  5. "マイナビオールスターゲーム2018 ファン投票結果". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  6. "Tetsuto Yamada Japanese Leagues Statistics & History".
  7. "「2018日米野球」に出場する侍ジャパントップチーム選手全28名が決定". 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  8. "「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.
  9. "東京オリンピック内定選手決定について". 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). Retrieved August 12, 2021.
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