Hideaki Wakui
Hideaki Wakui | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Matsudo, Chiba, Japan | |||||||||||||||||||||
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |||||||||||||||||||||
NPB debut | |||||||||||||||||||||
March 29, 2005, for the Seibu Lions | |||||||||||||||||||||
NPB statistics (through 2023 season) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Win–loss record | 159-156 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Earned run average | 3.59 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Strikeouts | 1,998 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Holds | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saves | 37 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Teams | |||||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Hideaki Wakui (涌井 秀章, Wakui Hideaki, born June 21, 1986) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in NPB for the Seibu Lions / Saitama Seibu Lions, Chiba Lotte Marines and Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Wakui pitched for the Japanese national team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2009 World Baseball Classic.[1][2]
His wife is a Japanese model Moe Oshikiri.
Early life and high school career
Early life
Wakui was born in
2002–2003
Wakui went on to
Summer 2004
In
Fall 2004
In the Sainokuni Magokoro
Professional career
Seibu Lions / Saitama Seibu Lions
Wakui was picked in the first round of the
Wakui was named to the Lions' ichigun (Japanese equivalent of "major
.On March 26, 2006, his first start of the season, Wakui earned a win against the Orix Buffaloes with Ginjiro Sumitani behind the plate (an 18-year-old rookie catcher straight out of high school), marking the first time a pitcher and catcher both in their teens had won a game in Japanese professional baseball since Tadanori Ishii (now Takuro Ishii) and Motonobu Tanishige accomplished the feat for the Yokohama Taiyo Whales in 1989.[7] The two combined for another win on April 23 against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, the first complete game win as well as the first shutout of Wakui's career.
Wakui finished his sophomore season with a respectable 12–8 record, 3.24 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 178 innings pitched. He went 3–1 in June, earning
On April 3, 2007, in the fifth inning of a regular season game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, Wakui became just the 12th pitcher in NPB history to accomplish the unusual feat of striking out four batters in one inning.
He finished the season with a 17–10 record, leading the league in wins for the first time.[8] He also led both Pacific and Central leagues in innings pitched (213) and hits allowed (199) and came second to only Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters ace Yu Darvish in complete games (11).
That year, Wakui was named to the Japanese national team to play in the 2007 Asian Baseball Championship (which also functioned as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics). He and fellow 21-year-old Darvish, who had both been chosen to the national team for the first time, were the youngest members of the team. Wakui started in the Japan's first game against the Philippines and held them to just one hit over six shutout innings (Japan won the game 10–0 in seven innings as per the mercy rule).[9]
In 2008, Wakui was named the starter for the Lions' season opener for the first time in his career. He took the mound in their season opener against the Buffaloes on March 20, but incurred the loss despite throwing 140 pitches and holding the Buffaloes to two runs over eight innings.
Wakui was selected to the national team to play in the Olympics, starting in the game against Chinese Taipei in the group stage on August 14[10] and holding them to one run over six innings in earning the win.[11] He followed up the effort with a two-hit, complete game (seven innings due to mercy rule) shutout against China on August 19.[12][13] However, he had a down year overall, going just 10–11 in the regular season and posting an ERA (3.90) and WHIP (1.29) that were both worse than that of his 2007 season.
Nevertheless, Wakui took the hill in Game 1
Wakui accepted the team's offer to change his uniform number from 16 to 18 during the
Wakui was named to the national team to play in the 2009
Chiba Lotte Marines
Wakui joined the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2014 as a free agent after playing nine seasons with the Lions, his original team. He signed a four-year contract worth 1.6 billion yen with the Marines, who hoped to bolster their rotation with his experience and leadership. In his first season with the Marines, Wakui posted a 13-11 record with a 3.38 ERA and 164 strikeouts in 28 games. He also threw two complete games and one shutout, earning his fifth All-Star selection and his first Best Nine award.
In 2015, Wakui continued to pitch well for the Marines, recording a 14-8 record with a 3.06 ERA and 151 strikeouts in 27 games. He led the Pacific League in wins and innings pitched (194.1), and ranked second in ERA and strikeouts. He also threw four complete games and two shutouts, including a no-hitter against the Orix Buffaloes on July 9. He was named to his sixth All-Star team and won his second Best Nine award.
Wakui's performance declined slightly in 2016, as he finished with a 10-8 record and a 3.99 ERA in 25 games. He struck out 122 batters and walked 51, while throwing two complete games and one shutout. He also suffered from some injuries that limited his innings to 158.2, the lowest since his rookie year. He did not make the All-Star team or win any individual awards that year.
In 2017, Wakui bounced back with a solid season for the Marines, going 11-7 with a 3.81 ERA and 139 strikeouts in 26 games. He threw three complete games and one shutout, and logged 172 innings on the mound. He was selected to his seventh All-Star team and won his third Best Nine award.
Wakui had another good year in 2018, posting a 12-8 record with a 3.69 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 27 games. He threw four complete games and one shutout, and pitched 181 innings for the Marines. He was named to his eighth All-Star team and won his fourth Best Nine award.
In his final season with the Marines in 2019, Wakui struggled with inconsistency and injuries, finishing with a 7-11 record and a 4.47 ERA in 23 games. He struck out 108 batters and walked 59, while throwing one complete game and no shutouts. He pitched only 136 innings, the lowest since his second year with the Lions. He did not make the All-Star team or win any individual awards that year.
Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
On December 19, 2019, the Marines traded Wakui to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles for cash.[22][23] On December 23, 2019, the team held a press conference announcing his signing.[24]
Chunichi Dragons
On November 18, 2022, the Eagles traded Wakui to the Chunichi Dragons in exchange for Toshiki Abe.
Pitching style
Wakui is a 185 cm (6 ft 1 in), 85 kg (187 lb)
Wakui throws an only average fastball,
References
- ^ "Lions prepare for trip into uncharted waters" The Japan Times
- ^ "Chunichi Breaks Long Title Drought" Baseball America
- ^ "Surprise package Wakui takes playoffs by storm" The Japan Times
- ^ "Koryo humbles Yokohama in Koshien final" The Japan Times
- ^ "Chiba Keizaidai reaches quarters" The Japan Times
- ^ "Paper Lions: Despite windfall, Seibu has struggled without Matsuzaka" The Boston Globe
- ^ "Pacific League Report: 3-26-2006" Japan Baseball Daily
- ^ "Darvish backed up by offense as Fighters down Eagles" The Japan Times
- ^ "Japan cruises to easy victory" The Japan Times
- ^ "Cruise Log: Hideaki Wakui of Japan pitches against Taiwan in their baseball game during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games" USA Today
- ^ "Beijing 08: Box Score" SI.com
- ^ "Canada out of medal contention in baseball" CBC Sports
- ^ "Japan wins in rout to advance to semifinals" The Japan Times
- ^ "Hot-hitting Lions crush Fighters in series opener" The Japan Times
- ^ "Wakui-led Lions nab spot in Japan Series" The Japan Times
- ^ "Wakui tosses gem for Lions in opener" The Japan Times
- ^ "Strength in relief gives pitch-perfect Lions win" The Japan Times
- ^ "Defending champions fielding younger team" USA Today
- ^ "WBC Roster Set" NPB Tracker
- ^ "Clutch hitting ignites Dragons to win over Giants" The Japan Times
- ^ "Fighters' Darvish nabs fifth consecutive win" The Japan Times
- ^ "涌井 秀章選手 金銭トレードに関して". 東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). December 19, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ "涌井投手 トレード成立について". 千葉ロッテマリーンズ オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). December 19, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ "涌井秀章選手の入団記者会見を行いました". 東北楽天ゴールデンイーグルス オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). December 23, 2019. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ Law, Keith. "Breaking down a few of Team Japan's players" ESPN
- ^ ""横浜高校対決"先輩の楽天・涌井から日本ハム・淺間が3安打&万波2号ソロ".
- ^ "Velocity Charts" NPB Tracker
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Career statistics - NPB.jp