Shogo Akiyama

Shogo Akiyama (秋山 翔吾, Akiyama Shōgo, Japanese pronunciation: [akʲijama ɕoːɣo], born April 16, 1988) is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Shogo Akiyama
Akiyama with the Saitama Seibu Lions
Cincinnati Reds – No. 4
Outfielder
Born: (1988-04-16) April 16, 1988
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Bats: Left Throws: Right
NPB debut
April 12, 2011, for the Saitama Seibu Lions
NPB statistics
(through 2019 Season)
Batting average.300
Hits1,276
Home runs102
RBI467
Runs695
Stolen bases105
Teams
Career highlights and awards

NPB Records

  • Most hits in a single season (216) (2015)
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
2015 WBSC Premier12
2015 Tokyo Team

Career

Saitama Seibu Lions
Akiyama batting for the Lions

Saitama Seibu Lions selected him with the third selection in the 2010 NPB draft.[1]

In 2015, Akiyama set the NPB record for hits in a single season with 216,[2] surpassing the 214 collected by Matt Murton of the Hanshin Tigers in 2010. He also batted a career-best .359 average for the year. In 2017, he led the NPB with a .322 average. Over the last 5 seasons of his career in NPB (2015–2019), Akiyama batted a .321 average[3] and appeared in 5 consecutive NPB All-Star games.

Cincinnati Reds

On October 29, 2019, Akiyama held a press conference to announce that he had filed for free agency for the rights to play overseas in Major League Baseball (MLB).[4] On January 6, 2020, Akiyama signed a 3-year, $21 million contract with the Cincinnati Reds.[5]

International career

Akiyama represented the Japan national baseball team in the 2012 exhibition games against Cuba, 2013 exhibition games against Chinese Taipei, 2015 WBSC Premier12, 2016 exhibition games against Chinese Taipei, 2016 exhibition games against Mexico and Netherlands, 2017 World Baseball Classic and 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.[6]

On October 1, 2019, he was selected to the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[7] But on October 31, he broke his right toe due to a hit by pitch (HBP) in a practice game with Canada,[8] and he withdrew from the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[9]

References
  1. "埼玉西武ライオンズ 選択選手一覧". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  2. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2015/10/01/baseball/japanese-baseball/lions-akiyama-sets-single-season-hit-record/#.VrrIB1ZlxA9 Japan Times. Lions' Akiyama Sets Single Season Hits Mark. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  3. "Report: Reds sign Japanese star Shogo Akiyama". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  4. "秋山選手フリーエージェント(FA)権利行使についての会見". 埼玉西武ライオンズ 公式サイト (in Japanese). October 29, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  5. "Reds sign Japan's Shogo Akiyama to 3-year, $21M deal". www.espn.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
  6. "「2018日米野球」出場選手6名、コーチングスタッフが決定". 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). August 20, 2018. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  7. "「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.
  8. "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) 侍ジャパン秋山が右足に死球、５回守備で交代". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
  9. "Japan national baseball team news (Japanese) 「ENEOS 侍ジャパンシリーズ2019」、「第2回 WBSC プレミア12」の日本チーム出場選手変更について". Japan national baseball team Official site (in Japanese). November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.


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