Kengo Yoshida

Kengo Yoshida
Yoshida with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters – No. 60
Catcher
Born: (2001-01-18) January 18, 2001 (age 24) Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Bats: Right Throws: Right
NPB debut
October 1, 2023, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics (through 2024 season)
Batting average	.185
Home runs	0
RBI	2
Hits	5
Stolen base	0
Sacrifice bunt	0
Teams
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2023–2024) Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2025–present)

Kengo Yoshida (吉田 賢吾, Yoshida Kengo, born January 18, 2001) is a Japanese professional baseball Catcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[1]

Early baseball career

Yoshida entered Toin University of Yokohama, where he won the spring Kanagawa University Baseball League in his third year and was named the league's MVP and the Best Nine Award.[2]He also played an active role in the fall league, winning the league's MVP and Best Nine awards for two consecutive leagues.[3]

During his college career, Yoshida had a batting average of .404 and 15 home runs, and was named MVP twice, the Best Nine Award four times, the RBI Leader three times, and the Hitting Leader once in the Kanagawa University Baseball League. [4]

Professional career

On October 20, 2022, Yoshida was drafted by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the 6th round in the 2022 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[5]

In 2023 season, Yoshida was delayed due to rehabilitation of his right elbow, but appeared in 32 games in the Western League, batting .310 with 2 home runs and 15 RBIs, and was added to the First League roster on September 30.[6][7] On October 1, Yoshida made his First League debut in the Pacific League against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as a pinch hitter.[8] That was his only appearance in the Pacific League in the 2023 season.

References

1. "Weekly Baseball online player data 福岡ソフトバンクホークス 吉田賢吾(よしだ けんご) #64 捕手 右投右打". Weekly Baseball online (in Japanese). Retrieved December 22, 2023.
2. "Chunichi Sports baseball news 西武ドラ1"ベッケンさん"後継の4番・吉田賢が引っ張る桐蔭横浜大が秋春連覇【神奈川大学野球】". Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). May 25, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
3. "Chunichi Sports baseball news 桐蔭横浜大のプロ注目捕手「ドラフト1位になるために成績すべて超えないといけない」【神奈川大学野球リーグ】". Chunichi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
4. "Yahoo! Japan baseball news 【ホークス新人名鑑・Q&A】6位吉田賢吾は練習の虫！「午前2時40分に起きてグラウンドに」". Yahoo! Japan (in Japanese). December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
5. "Nikkan Sports baseball news 【ソフトバンク】ドラ6桐蔭横浜大・吉田賢吾と仮契約「おっきな目標」3割30本100打点". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 16, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
6. "Daily Sports baseball news ソフトバンク・吉田賢吾が初の1軍昇格 小久保2軍監督から「今までやってきたことをやるだけ」と背中押される". Daily Sports (in Japanese). September 30, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
7. "Nippon Professional Baseball Season Stats in 2023 シーズン成績 2023年度 福岡ソフトバンクホークス個人打撃成績(ウエスタン・リーグ)". NPB.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved December 22, 2023.
8. "Nishinippon Sports baseball news Breaking news ソフトバンクのドラ6ルーキー吉田賢吾 1点追う9回代打でプロ初打席も三球三振「大事な場面でいただいた中で…悔しい」". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). October 1, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.

External links

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Career statistics - NPB.jp
• 64 Kengo Yoshida PLAYERS2024 - Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site