Yuki Saito (pitcher, born 1988)
This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: Has no information about his NPB career.(July 2021) |
Yuki Saito | |
---|---|
Starting pitcher | |
Born: Nitta (part of the special city of Ōta), Gunma, Japan | June 6, 1988|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
NPB debut | |
April 17, 2011, for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | |
Last NPB appearance | |
October 16, 2021, for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | |
NPB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 15–26 |
Earned run average | 4.34 |
Strikeouts | 209 |
Teams | |
Career highlights and awards | |
Collegiate baseball
NPB
|
Yuki Saito (斎藤 佑樹, Saitō Yūki, born June 6, 1988 in Nitta, Gunma, Japan) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He played 11 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.
Saito rose to national stardom as a
Early life
Saito was born in Nitta, a town in Gunma Prefecture that has since been incorporated into the larger city of Ōta. He began playing baseball in the first grade, following in the footsteps of his older brother,[2] who as team captain would later lead Kiryū High School to the semi-finals of the regional Gunma Tournament of the National High School Baseball Championship.
Saito's desire to play in the
High school career
In 2004, Saito left his home in Gunma to attend Waseda Jitsugyo High School, a private affiliate school of
Saito's team faced Nihon University Third High again just months later in the semi-finals of the regional tournament held that fall. This time, Saito pitched a
In the spring of 2006, pitching in a national tournament for the first time, Saito took the mound against Kanzei High School of
National championship
That summer, he faced Nihon University Third High yet again in the finals of the West Tokyo Tournament, defeating them in
The finals against
The 69
The Handkerchief Prince
As the tournament, various media outlets took a strong liking to Saito's custom of using a blue handkerchief that he kept folded in his pocket to wipe sweat from his face. This, combined with his good looks, led to his being dubbed the "Handkerchief Prince" (ハンカチ王子, Hankachi Ōji).[5][6]
Later, the name "Yū-chan" (佑ちゃん, Yū-chan) stuck after Masahiro Tanaka told media that that was what he called Saito during the U.S.-Japan High School Baseball Tournament that was held following the national championship. (Saito and Tanaka were both chosen to play for the Japanese team in the tournament, organized by the Japanese Educational Resource Center in conjunction with the
Aftermath of tournament
Though it had been reported even prior to the tournament that Saito planned on proceeding to college upon completing high school rather than declaring for the Nippon Professional Baseball draft that would be held in the fall, his sensational performance and sudden popularity caused much speculation regarding his decision (particularly by the media). On September 11, he held a press conference in front of more than 150 reporters and announced that he would not be declaring for the draft, opting to go to college instead.[7]
In the Nojigiku Hyōgo National Sports Festival, the final tournament of his high school career, Saito faced Tomakomai High in the finals in a rematch of the national championship held in the summer, pitching a complete-game shutout and defeating them one last time.[8]
College career
2007
In 2007, Saito enrolled in
That June, Saito took the mound as Waseda's ace in the second-round match, semi-finals, and finals of the 56th All-Japan University Baseball Championship Series, earning wins in the latter two games and leading the school to their first national championship in 33 years.[11] Saito was also named the tournament MVP for his efforts.[12]
A month later, in July 2007, Saito was chosen to play for Japan in the 36th Japan-USA University Baseball Championship Series.
Saito took the mound for the fall season opener as well, becoming the first pitcher in 80 years to start and win the opener of both the spring and fall seasons as a freshman[14] (then-Keio pitcher Saburo Miyatake accomplished the feat in 1927). He pitched the first complete game of his college career in the fourth game against Hosei University on September 25 and topped the effort with a 15-strikeout (a personal high) complete-game shutout in the rubber game against Keio on October 30, becoming the winning pitcher in the title-clinching game for Waseda for the second consecutive season.[15] He finished the season with a 4-0 record and an 0.78 ERA in 57⅔ innings,[16] leading the league in wins and ERA and winning both the Best Nine and Most Valuable Player (as chosen by the fans) awards a second time.
In the 38th Meiji Jingu Tournament that followed, he started all three games, leading Waseda to a match-up with Toyo University in the tournament finals on November 14. However, though he pitched six shutout frames and matched Toyo's ace (and current Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks pitcher) Shota Ohba inning for inning, the bullpen gave up the go-ahead run after Saito left the game and Waseda fell just short of the tournament championship.
2008
Going into the spring 2008 season, Saito vowed to win five games and lead to Waseda to a fourth consecutive league title. However, the spring season turned out to be a frustrating experience for Saito. In a May 19 start against Meiji University, Saito was hit in the right thigh by a sharp come-backer (a line drive right back to the pitcher), forcing him to leave the game. Waseda went on to lose the game (the loss being charged to Saito), diminishing their chances of winning the league title. In his next game against Keio on June 1, Saito gave up two home runs, losing consecutive starts for the first time in his college career. It was also the first time he gave up multiple home runs in a game since the National High School Baseball Championship finals in 2006. Saito finished the season at just 3-2, relinquishing Waseda's stronghold on the league title to Meiji.
Saito spent much of the summer overseas, playing in the IBAF World University Baseball Championship in the Czech Republic and taking part in a tour of Brazil with the rest of the Waseda team. He placed a greater emphasis on running in his workouts.
Just how effective Saito's effort to build stamina during the summer would be quickly became evident during the fall season. In one particular stretch from October 11 to October 20, Saito started five of the seven games Waseda played against Hosei and Meiji, going 3-1 and throwing 525 pitches in a 10-day span. Saito held Keio to one run over seven innings in the title clincher on November 1, marking already the third time in his college career that he had pitched in a title-clinching game. He followed the performance up with another win over Keio two days later, finishing the season with a league-leading (and personal-best) 7-1 record and notching at least one win against each of the five other teams in the league (Tokyo, Hosei, Meiji, Keio, and Rikkio), earning him his third selection to the Best Nine Award.[17]
2009
Saito started the spring 2009 season off well, pitching seven shutout innings while striking out 10 and allowing just three hits in a resounding 11-0 victory over the University of Tokyo in the season opener held April 11. However, he had one of the worst outings of his career against Hosei University on April 28, lasting just four innings and giving up six runs (the most in his college career thus far) on six hits, three walks and three hit-batters en route to an 8-4 loss. He rebounded with a stellar outing against Rikkio on May 2, striking out 12 and allowing just two hits over eight shutout innings in a 3-0 victory.
Professional career
On October 28, 2010, Saito was drafted by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in the 2010 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. Saito made his NPB debut on April 17, 2011 for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. On September 30, 2021, Saito announced he would be retiring from professional baseball after 11 years with the Fighters.[18]
Pitching style
Saito is a
Despite having a somewhat small frame at 176 cm (5 ft 9 in) and 76 kg (168 lb),[20] Saito has excellent stamina,[21] throwing 231 pitches in the second-round match against Kanzei High School in the National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament, 221 pitches in the finals of the West Tokyo Tournament, and 178 in the finals of the National High School Baseball Championship in his senior year of high school.
Saito was dubbed "the second coming of Daisuke Araki" during his high school years (particularly before he won the national championship and became more associated with his other nicknames) for the similarities in their playing styles. Araki, a fellow alumnus of Waseda Jitsugyo High, pitched in five consecutive national tournaments during his high school career before going on to play for the Yakult Swallows and Yokohama BayStars.
References
- ^ "The biggest impact of Junichi Tazawa won't be felt on the mound" SI.com
- ^ "Little Prince" Yuki Saito Watch
- ^ "Saito, Tanaka duel to stalemate" The Japan Times
- ^ "Waseda Jitsugyo clinches Koshien title" The Japan Times
- ^ "Honoring old rivalry a world away" Chicago Tribune
- ^ "Japan baseball stars first shine bright at Koshien" The Japan Times
- ^ "Waseda's Saito opts for college" The Japan Times
- ^ "Waseda's Saito tosses shutout" The Japan Times
- ^ "Coronation" Yuki Saito Watch
- ^ "Saito named to 'Best Nine' team" The Japan Times
- ^ "All Japan University Champions" Yuki Saito Watch
- ^ "Nippon Prospectus: Japan-US University Baseball Tournament Preview" Baseball Prospectus
- ^ "Yuki Saitoh: The hottest rookie baseball card in the world" Archived October 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Orlando Sentinel
- ^ "Fall Baseball" Yuki Saito Watch
- ^ "Saito strikes out 15 in Big Six fall title game" The Japan Times
- ^ "Baseball leads off season in Japan" Archived July 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine The Chicago Maroon
- ^ "Waseda University Baseball Team Achieves Full Victory" Waseda Online
- ^ @jt_osaki (October 1, 2021). "Nippon-Ham Fighters pitcher Yuki Saito, the former teen "Handkerchief Prince" who became a national sensation with…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Team USA, baseball, Fourth of July – and the next 'Dice-K?'" USA Today
- ^ Neel, Eric. "This is only the beginning" – ESPN
- ^ "In Japan, pitchers in for long haul" USA Today
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)