is a professional Japanese
baseball player. He plays
pitcher for the
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks afte
being drafted in 2016
Early baseball career
Tanaka was selected to the
Japan national baseball team for
2014 Haarlem Baseball Week
The 2014 Haarlem Baseball Week was an international baseball competition held at the Pim Mulier Stadium in Haarlem, the Netherlands from July 11–20, 2014. It was the 27th edition of the tournament.
In the final the United States won over Japa ...
and
Baseball at the 2015 Summer Universiade while attending
Sōka University.
Professional career
On October 20, 2016, Tanaka was drafted by the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks first overall pick in the
2016 Nippon Professional Baseball draft
The 2016 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft was held on October 20, , for the 52nd time at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa to assign amateur baseball players to the NPB. It was arranged with the special cooperation of Taisho Pharmaceutical ...
.
In 2017 season, Tanaka played in the
Western League of NPB's minor leagues and played in informal matches against
Shikoku Island League Plus's teams.
On April 1, 2018, Tanaka pitched his debut game against the
Orix Buffaloes
The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team formed as a result of the 2004 Nippon Professional Baseball realignment by the merger of the Orix BlueWave of Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, and the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes of Osaka, Osaka Prefectur ...
as a
relief pitcher. In 2018 season, he pitched in 10 games.
In 2019 season, Tanaka hurt his right shoulder in spring training and spent 4 months in rehabilitation. And he pitched only one game.
In 2020 season, Tanaka hurt his right elbow in spring training and spent the season in rehabilitation. As a result, he had no chance to pitch in the Pacific League.
On June 27, 2021, Tanaka pitched in the Pacific League for the first time in two years against the
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. In 2021 season, he finished the regular season with a 18 Games pitched, a 0–0 Win–loss record, a 2.16 ERA, a one Holds, and a 14 strikeouts in 16.2 innings.
In 2022 season, he injured his right shoulder in the preseason game on March 20, and the effect delayed his start in the Pacific League on August 14.
He finished the regular season with a 5 Games pitched, a 0–0 Win–loss record, a 0.00 ERA, a one Holds, and a 6 strikeouts in 5 innings.
References
External links
Career statistics - NPB.jp
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site
Japan Times
1994 births
Living people
Baseball people from Yokohama
Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players
Universiade gold medalists for Japan
Japanese expatriate baseball players in Puerto Rico
Gigantes de Carolina players
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