Wikipedia

Ryoya Kurihara

Ryoya Kurihara (栗原 陵矢, Kurihara Ryōya, born July 4, 1996) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher, infielder, and outfielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Ryoya Kurihara
Kurihara with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 24
Catcher / Infielder / Outfielder
Born: (1996-07-04) July 4, 1996 (age 28)
Fukui, Fukui, Japan
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
NPB debut
June 13, 2017, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.254
Home runs54
RBI211
Hits353
Stolen base12
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
Summer Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
Asian Junior Baseball Championship
Silver medal – second place 2014, Bangkok, Thailand Team

Early baseball career

edit

As a catcher at Fukui Prefectural Harue Technical High School, Ryoya Kurihara participated in the 1st grade autumn 43rd Meiji Jingu Baseball Championship and in the 2nd grade spring 85th Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament.[1] In 2014, he was selected to the Japan national baseball team in the 2014 Asian Junior Baseball Championship.[2]

Professional career

edit

2015-2020 season

edit
 
Kurihara in the 2019 uniform number 31 era.

Kurihara was drafted in the second round by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the 2014 draft. He and the Hawks agreed to a ¥7 million annual salary.[1] From 2015 to 2016 he played on SoftBank's minor league teams in NPB's Western League.

He made his Hawks debut in an interleague game against the Yomiuri Giants on June 13, 2017.[3] And he was selected as the Japan Series roster in the 2017 Japan Series, however he did not play.[4] In February 2018, Kurihara dislocated his left shoulder during spring training.[5] He returned from the injury on August 10 and recorded his first hit on September 5.[6][7] He was again selected to the Japan Series roster in 2018 in which he recorded a sacrifice bunt as a pinch hitter.[8] On July 23, 2019, Kurihara recorded his first home run.[9] Again, he was selected as roster in the 2019 Japan Series.[10]

Kurihara played in 118 of 120 games in the 2020 season.[11] In the Japan Series, he went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs in Game 1 and 4-for-5 in Game 2,[12] becoming only the 23rd player to record four hits in a Japan Series game.[13] After the Hawks swept the Giants to win the series, Kurihara was named Japan Series MVP.[12]

2021 season-present

edit

In 2021 season, Kurihara had been on a roll since the opening game, and as of May 2, he was third in the league with a .319 batting average.[14] On June 30, He hit his 10th home run of the season against the Saitama Seibu Lions.[15] He was selected for the NPB All-Star Game for the first time and became the first player in NPB All-Star history to play four positions in one game: third baseman, left fielder, catcher, and first baseman in the Mynavi All-Star Game 2021 Game 2 on July 17[16] On October 24, he hit his first 20 homers in a season against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.[17] In his second year as a regular, he played in 143 full games, ranked third in the league in runs batted in with 247, fifth in runs batted in with 77, batted .275 with 21 home runs, and played both right fielder, left fielder and third base on defense.

In 2022 season, Kurihara changed the Uniform number from 31 to 24.[18] Kurihara had batted .353 with two home runs and five runs batted in in the first five games of the season, but on March 30, while playing left field against the Chiba Lotte Marines, he injured his left knee in a collision with center fielder Seiji Uebayashi.[19] He was diagnosed with a suspected left anterior cruciate ligament tear and left lateral meniscus injury, which will take six to seven months to heal and will prevent him from returning for the season.[20] On October 30, he joined the team's fall training camp, although he was not ready for the season.[21]

In 2023 season, Kurihara was the starting third baseman in the opening game against the Chiba Lotte Marines on March 31, and hit home runs in two consecutive games.[22] However, during his at-bat against the Chiba Lotte Marines on July 29, the inflammation in his left knee that he injured last season recurred, and he required rehabilitation.[23] Kurihara returned to action against the Chiba Lotte Marines on August 23, but fractured the hamate bone in his right hand in that game, ending his season.[24] He finished the regular season with a .239 batting average, a 13 home runs, and a 49 RBIs batted in in 96 games.

International career

edit

On June 16, 2021, Kurihara was selected as the Japan national baseball team in the Baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics.[25]

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "ソフトドラ２栗原 走れる「１番捕手」だ". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 26, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  2. ^ "日本代表に峯本、香月ら 部内いじめ発覚で済美・安楽は選ばれず". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). August 25, 2014. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  3. ^ "ソフトバンク栗原１軍デビュー「ただただ緊張した」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). June 13, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  4. ^ "SMBC日本シリーズ2017 出場資格者名簿（福岡ソフトバンクホークス）" (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  5. ^ "ソフトバンク栗原が左肩脱臼 特守で打球に飛び込む". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). February 20, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  6. ^ "ロッテ安田、ソフトバンク中田ら登録／10日公示". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). August 10, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  7. ^ "ソフトバンク４年目栗原プロ初安打「ボールは親に」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). September 5, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  8. ^ "2018年10月27日（土）マツダスタジアム【SMBC日本シリーズ】 広島東洋カープ vs 福岡ソフトバンクホークス 第1戦" (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  9. ^ "ソフトバンク栗原プロ１号「出せることをやろうと」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). July 23, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  10. ^ "SMBC日本シリーズ2019 出場資格者名簿（福岡ソフトバンクホークス）". NPB.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  11. ^ "栗原 陵矢 (福岡ソフトバンクホークス)" [Kurihara Ryoya (Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks)] (in Japanese). Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Coskrey, Jason (November 26, 2020). "Hawks sweep Giants again to clinch fourth straight Japan Series title". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  13. ^ Coskrey, Jason (November 23, 2020). "Hawks still in a class of their own". The Japan Times. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  14. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 打率リーグ3位に浮上！　栗原「一喜一憂せず」今季初猛打賞". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). May 2, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  15. ^ "Nikkansports Sports baseball news 昨季17発の栗原、今季も2桁弾 3戦ぶりの10号ソロ". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). June 30, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  16. ^ "Nikkansports Sports baseball news ソフトバンク栗原陵矢"五刀流"で持ち味発揮「普段からグラブ4種類」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). July 18, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  17. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news ソフトバンク栗原が自身初のシーズン20本塁打に到達 8回に左翼席へソロ". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). October 24, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  18. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 栗原の背番号を来季から「24」に変更　球団が発表". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). November 14, 2021. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  19. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 栗原が左膝損傷で登録抹消　骨には異常なし　30日のロッテ戦で痛める 代わって柳町が昇格". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). March 31, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  20. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 今季絶望の栗原、断裂した左膝前十字靱帯". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). March 31, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  21. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 日本一オリ吉田正超える！ 栗原陵矢マッチョマン計画、7カ月ぶり一軍で早速ドカン". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). October 31, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  22. ^ "Sports Nippon baseball news ソフトバンク4番・栗原が2試合連続先制弾　開幕から2試合連続本塁打はケビン・ミッチェル以来". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). April 1, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  23. ^ "Nikkan Sports baseball news 【ソフトバンク】栗原陵矢が左膝蓋下脂肪体の炎症で抹消「しっかり頑張ります」最短で復帰目指す". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). July 30, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  24. ^ "Nikkan Sports baseball news 【ソフトバンク】栗原陵矢が右手有鈎骨鈎の骨折で登録抹消　前日に途中交代　リチャードが昇格". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). August 24, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
  25. ^ "Japan national baseball team Press release 選手発表 東京オリンピック内定選手決定について 2021年6月16日". Japan national baseball team Official site (in Japanese). June 16, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
edit
 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ryoya Kurihara.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryoya_Kurihara&oldid=1236456518"