Hotaka Yamakawa

Japanese baseball player
Baseball player
Hotaka Yamakawa
Yamakawa with the Saitama Seibu Lions
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 25
First Baseman
Born: (1991-11-23) November 23, 1991 (age 32)
Naha, Okinawa, Japan
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
NPB debut
June 21, 2014, for the Saitama Seibu Lions
NPB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.256
Hits681
Home runs218
RBI575
Teams
  • Saitama Seibu Lions (20142023)
  • Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks(2024 ー)
Career highlights and awards
  • Pacific League MVP (2018)
  • NPB All-Star (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)
  • 3× Pacific League Home Run Leader (2018, 2019, 2022)
  • 1× Pacific League Leader of RBI (2022)
  • 3× Pacific League Best Nine Award (2018, 2019, 2022)
  • Hochi Professional Sports Award (2018)
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
World Baseball Classic
Gold medal – first place 2023 Miami Team

Hotaka Yamakawa (山川 穂高, Yamakawa Hotaka, born November 23, 1991),is a Japanesebaseball infielder for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has previously played in NPB for the Saitama Seibu Lions. Yamakawa led the Pacific League in home runs in 2018, 2019, and 2022.

Career

He was selected for the Pacific League all star team for the 2018 NPB All-Star game [jp].[1] On October 10, 2018, he was selected by the Japan national baseball team to play for them at the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.[2] He was also selected by Samurai Japan to play for them during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, winning gold with them.

Sexual assault allegations

On May 11, 2023, it was reported from Bunshun Online that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department was investigating Yamakawa for sexually assaulting a female acquaintance at a hotel in Tokyo in November 2022.[3] Bunshun Online reported that said female acquaintance had suffered bleeding injuries from the vagina and other parts of the body, and that the police had received a damage report on suspicion of indecent assault and rape. Yamakawa, however, stated that all was consensual and he had relations with the woman. [3] In response to this, on May 12, the Lions removed Yamakawa from their active roster indefinite.[4] On 29, it was announced that Yamakawa would not face charges as a result of the allegations.[5]

References

  1. ^ "マイナビオールスターゲーム2018 ファン投票結果". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  2. ^ "「2018日米野球」に出場する侍ジャパントップチーム選手全28名が決定". 野球日本代表 侍ジャパン オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  3. ^ a b ""WBC侍ジャパン"西武・山川穂高(31)が"強制わいせつ致傷容疑"で事情聴取「被害女性は下半身から出血するけがも。処罰感情は強い」". Archived from the original on 2023-05-12.
  4. ^ "Lions remove Hotaka Yamakawa from active roster after sexual assault allegations". The Japan Times. 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-05-21.
  5. ^ "Japan baseball star Hotaka Yamakawa not to face charges over alleged rape". english.kyodonews.net. Retrieved September 12, 2023.

External links

  • Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
  • NPB.com
  • NPB.jp
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Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks current roster
Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Developmental player
Pitchers
  • 120 Hiroki Sato
  • 124 Shuji Kuwahara
  • 125 Yuri Furukawa
  • 126 Yuwa Miyasato
  • 133 Kotaro Hoshino
  • 134 Shinno Ohshiro
  • 135 Alexander Armenta
  • 136 Fuga Otake
  • 137 Ryota Nakamura
  • 139 Sanshiro Izaki
  • 140 Mizuki Miura
  • 141 Mailon Felix
  • 142 Haruto Fujiwara
  • 143 Shun Murakami
  • 145 Hammond
  • 146 Jumpei Fujita
  • 147 Koki Kato
  • 148 Takuma Yamasaki
  • 152 Masaki Takimoto
  • 154 Takuma Sato
  • 156 Luis Rodríguez
  • 158 Ren Akaba
  • 160 Keishin Nagamizu
  • 161 Kaito Uchino
  • 162 Jumpei Okaue
  • 163 Akito Sasaki
  • 164 Souta Minakuchi
  • 165 Hayato Miyazaki
  • 167 Jun Maeda
  • 169 Yusei Tobita
  • 172 Yuki Watanabe
  • 174 Takuya Kuwahara
Catchers
  • 121 Soichiro Ishizuka
  • 151 Sora Kato
  • 171 Ryota Morishima
Infielders
  • 122 Keio Fujino
  • 127 Riku Ogata
  • 128 Daisuke Itoh
  • 129 Kyoshiro Sakura
  • 130 Haruki Katsuren
  • 131 Koki Nakazawa
  • 149 Takuto Sakuma
  • 153 Yoshiki Mishiro
  • 157 Jui Kobayashi
  • 159 Kyogo Yamashita
  • 170 Ayuma Nishio
  • 175 David Almonte
Outfielders
  • 123 Shuya Ohizumi
  • 132 Yuto Kawamura
  • 138 Naoki Satoh
  • 144 Marco Simon
  • 150 Keita Yamamoto
  • 155 Keisuke Nakata
  • 166 Kaito Shigematsu
  • 168 Kota Sato
  • 173 Jose Osuna
Managers / Coaches
First squad
Second squad
Third squad
Fourth squad
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Japan roster2023 World Baseball Classic champions (3rd title)
Manager
89 Hideki Kuriyama
Coaches
Bench Coach 90 Kazuyuki Shirai
Hitting Coach 77 Sadaaki Yoshimura
Infield Coach 79 Noriyuki Shiroishi
Pitching Coach 81 Masato Yoshii
First Base Coach 87 Masaji Shimizu
Bullpen Coach 75 Kazuyuki Atsuzawa
Catching Coach 74 Yoshinori Murata


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