Yūto Koga

Yūto Koga
Saitama Seibu Lions – No. 22
Catcher
Born: (1999-09-10) 10 September 1999 (age 25)
Chikushino, Fukuoka, Japan
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
NPB debut
5 May, 2022, for the Saitama Seibu Lions
NPB statistics
(through 2024)
Batting average.215
Hits117
Home Runs6
RBI36
Teams
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
Asia Professional Baseball Championship
Gold medal – first place 2023 Tokyo Team
WBSC Premier12
Silver medal – second place 2024 Team
U-18 Baseball World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Thunder Bay Team

Yūto Koga (古賀 悠斗, Koga Yūto, born 10 September 1999) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Career

Koga studied at the Faculty of Law of the Chuo University, where he also played baseball, becoming the team's starting catcher in his second year and the club's captain in his fourth year.[1] He was selected by the Saitama Seibu Lions in the 2021 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[2]

He made his debut with the team on 5 May 2022 against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at the Belluna Dome. On 7 May, he recorded his first hit against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.[3] He scored his first RBI on 11 May against the Carp.[4] He hit his first home run on 20 July against the Chiba Lotte Marines at the Zozo Marine Stadium.[5] In 26 games during the season, Koga recorded a .155 batting average, nine hits, one home run and four RBI.

In 2023, he finished the season with a .218 batting average, 52 hits, two home runs and 20 RBI in 100 games. In 2024, he played 105 games, recording a .228 batting average, 56 hits, three home runs and 12 RBI.[6]

International career

Koga represented Japan in the 2017 U-18 Baseball World Cup, held in Thunder Bay, Canada, where the Japanese squad won the bronze medal. He was also part of the Japanese team that won the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship. Koga was selected to represent Japan in the 2024 WBSC Premier12.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ "埼玉西武ライオンズドラフト３位　古賀悠斗主将　指名あいさつ". chudaisports.com (in Japanese). 18 October 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  2. ^ "埼玉西武ライオンズ 選択選手一覧 | 2021年 プロ野球ドラフト会議 supported by リポビタンＤ". npb.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  3. ^ "【西武】古賀悠斗がプロ初安打". hochi.news (in Japanese). 7 May 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  4. ^ "西武新人捕手の古賀が初打点＆初マルチ　6投手を好リード　初お立ち台で「戦力になれるよう必死に」". sponichi.co.jp (in Japanese). 11 June 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  5. ^ "【西武】ドラフト3位ルーキー古賀悠斗がプロ初本塁打「試合が終わってから喜びたいと思います」". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). 20 July 2022. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Koga,Yuto（Saitama Seibu Lions）". npb.jp. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  7. ^ "KOGA Yuto". japan-baseball.jp. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
  8. ^ "ラグザス presents 第3回WBSCプレミア12 出場選手". japan-baseball.jp (in Japanese). 9 October 2024. Retrieved 6 November 2024.