Tetsuto Yamada

Tetsuto Yamada (山田 哲人, Yamada Tetsuto, born July 16, 1992 in Toyooka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan) is a Japanese professional baseball infielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[1] Yamada made his NPB debut in 2012. He has won the Central League MVP award, has been selected to six NPB All-Star Series appearances, and has a Japan Series championship in two appearances. He has led the Central League in stolen bases three times and home runs once, hitting 30 home runs and stealing 30 bases in a single season on four occasions. He has been called the "Mike Trout of Japan."[2]

The native form of this personal name is Yamada Tetsuto. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Tetsuto Yamada
Yamada with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2016
Tokyo Yakult Swallows – No. 1
Second baseman
Born: (1992-07-16) July 16, 1992
Toyooka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
NPB debut
April 5, 2012, for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
NPB statistics
(through April 7, 2022)
Batting average.291
Home runs251
Runs batted in742
Stolen bases181
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

Early life

Yamada was born in Toyooka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan.[3] His father, Tomonori, was a police officer who had competed in Shorinji Kempo in high school. As a child, Yamada did karate and gymnastics, and played soccer when he was in first grade. He started playing baseball as an outfielder in Takarazuka Little League when he was in second grade.[4] After starting middle school, Yamada played for Hyōgo Itami, a team in the Japanese youth baseball organization Young League.[3][5] He attended Riseisha High School in Toyonaka, Osaka with Takahiro Okada, and played in the Japanese High School Baseball Championship during his third year.[6] In the 2010 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, Yamada was named by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the Orix Buffaloes.[7] Yakult won the rights to his negotiation, and he signed with them for a 7.2 million yen contract on November 25, 2010.[8]

Professional career

2012-2014: Early career

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.

2015: MVP season

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.[9] 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."[10]

2016-2020

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, the fourth selection of his career.[11] 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.

2021: Japan Series Championship

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.[12]

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.[13]

On October 1, 2019, he was selected to Team Japan for the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[14]

On June 16, 2021, he was selected to Team Japan for the 2020 Summer Olympics.[15]

References
  1. "Yamada,Tetsuto（Tokyo Yakult Swallows） | Players". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  2. "Nippon Professional Baseball: 10 players to watch in Japan, including some potential future MLB aces". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  3. INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2015-12-18). "【特命記者】山田哲人の知られざる少年時代". サンスポ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  4. INC, SANKEI DIGITAL (2015-10-21). "独自の練習、息子のため転居も…ヤクルト・山田哲人を育てた父は警察官". 産経ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  5. Full-Count (2021-03-12). "「指導者にも覚悟が必要」燕・山田哲人を輩出した強豪クラブが見据える少年野球の未来 ｜ Full-Count". Full-Count (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  6. "やる気スイッチオン。山田哲人は高２でドラフト中継を見て別人になった｜プロ野球｜集英社 スポルティーバ 公式サイト web Sportiva". 集英社のスポーツ総合雑誌 スポルティーバ 公式サイト web Sportiva (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  7. "ヤクルトのドラフト秘話。八重樫幸雄が語る、いろいろ誤算があった選手たち｜プロ野球｜集英社 スポルティーバ 公式サイト web Sportiva". 集英社のスポーツ総合雑誌 スポルティーバ 公式サイト web Sportiva (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  8. "ドラ１の山田仮契約 青木の背番号で新人王「意識」 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 野球". スポニチ Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). Retrieved 2022-03-04.
  9. Nagatsuka, Kaz (2015-11-25). "Yakult's Yamada, Softbank's Yanigata win MVP Awards". The Japan Times Online. Retrieved 14 February 2016. (subscription required)
  10. Coskrey, Jason (2015-10-28). "Yamada Stakes Claim as Top Player". The Japan Times Online. Retrieved 14 February 2016. (subscription required)
  11. "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.
  12. "Tetsuto Yamada Japanese Leagues Statistics & History".
  13. "「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.
  14. "「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.
  15. "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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