is a Japanese professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

of the

Nippon Professional Baseball or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''. Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...

(NPB). He previously played for the

Tokyo Yakult Swallows The Tokyo Yakult Swallows () are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the ...

, the

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional Baseball in Japan, baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the majority of their home games at ES CON Field Hokkaido. The Figh ...

, and the

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

Professional career

Tokyo Yakult Swallows

On October 24, 2013, Akiyoshi was drafted by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the 2013 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. On April 1, 2014, Akiyoshi debuted in the

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consi ...

against the

Hiroshima Toyo Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda ...

as a starting pitcher. On Mayl 13, he pitched against the

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They ...

and recorded his first win. During the 2014-2018 season with the Swallows, he contributed to the team as a

setup man In baseball, a setup man (or set-up man, also sometimes referred to as a setup pitcher or setup reliever) is a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer. They commonly pitch the eighth inning, with the closer pitching the ninth. A ...

. In all, he pitched in 283 games with a 19–17 Win–loss record, a 2.68 ERA, a 67 Holds, a 34 Saves, and a and a 274 strikeouts in 298.2 innings. On July 16, 2016, Akiyoshi was named an All-Star and pitched in the 2016 Mazda All-Star Game 2016.

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

December 11, 2018, Akiyoshi and

Ryota Yachi is a former professional Japanese baseball player. He plays infielder for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional Baseball in Japan, baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō. They compete in the Pacific Lea ...

were transferred to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in a 2-2 trade with Hirotoshi Takanashi and Kengo Ohta. On April 12, 2019, he recorded his first save since joining the Fighters. Akiyoshi played the 2019-2021 seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, he contributed to the team as a Closer. In all, he pitched in 96 games with a 1–6 Win–loss record, a 4.04 ERA, a 11 Holds, a 37 Saves, and a and a 84 strikeouts in 91.1 innings. On November 16, 2021, he elected free agency following the 2021 season.

Fukui Nexus Elephants

On January 31, 2022, Akiyoshi signed with the Fukui Nexus Elephants of the independent league Nihonkai OCEAN League. He recorded 18 Games pitched, a 1–2 Win–loss record, a 2.66 ERA, a 7 Saves, and a 35 strikeouts in 20.1innings.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

On July 19, 2022, Akiyoshi signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. On August 3, he made his debut as a pitcher for the Hawks. He pitched in only two games in the Pacific League in the 2022 season. On October 17, 2022, the Hawks announced he was a free agent.

International career

On February 15, 2016, Akiyoshi represented the

Japan national baseball team The is the national team representing Japan in international baseball competitions. It won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009, as well as WBSC Premier12 in 2019. The team is currently ranked 1st in the world by the World Baseball Softb ...

at the Samurai Japan Warm-up Game Japan vs Chinese Taipei. January 24, 2017, he was elected to the Japan national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

References

External links

Career statistics - NPB.jp

- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site 1989 births Living people category:Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters players Japanese baseball players Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers Baseball people from Tokyo Tokyo Yakult Swallows players 2017 World Baseball Classic players {{Japan-baseball-pitcher-stub