Kotaro Otake

Kotaro Otake (大竹 耕太郎, Ōtake Kōtarō, born June 29, 1995 in Kumamoto, Kumamoto Prefecture) is a Japanese Professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Kotaro Otake
Otake with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 10
Pitcher
Born: (1995-06-29) June 29, 1995
Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan
Bats: Left Throws: Left
NPB debut
August 1, 2018, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Win–loss record10-6
ERA3.70
Strikeouts116
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Early Baseball career

Otake participated in the 2nd grade summer 94th Japanese High School Baseball Championship and the 3rd grade spring 85th Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament as an ace pitcher at Seisei High School. He went to Waseda University and won the Best Nine in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League.[1]

Professional career

On October 26, 2017, Otake was not drafted as a registered player under management (Ja:支配下選手登録) in the 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, but drafted as developmental squad player (Ja:育成選手制度 (日本プロ野球)) by the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.[2]

On July 29, 2018, he signed a 6 million yen contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as a registered player under management.[3] On August 1, Otake debuted against the Saitama Seibu Lions and won the game for the first time.[4] In 2018 season, he finished the regular season with a 3–2 Win–loss record, a 3.88 ERA, a 36 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings. And he pitched in the 2018 Japan Series.

In 2019 season, Otake finished the regular season with a 5–4 Win–loss record, a 3.82 ERA, a 72 strikeouts in 106 innings. And he was selected as the Japan Series roster in the 2019 Japan Series.[5]

In 2020 season, Otake delayed his first pitch in the Pacific League to August 13 due to rehabilitation of his left elbow injury.[6] He recorded with a 3 Games pitched, a 2–0 Win–loss record, a 2.30 ERA, a 8 strikeouts in 15.2 innings. And he recorded with a 16 Games pitched, a 6–3 Win–loss record, a.667 Winning percentage, a 2.53 ERA, a 73 strikeouts in 92.1 innings in the Western League of NPB's minor leagues,[7] was honored for the Western League Wins Leader Award, the Western League ERA Leader Award, the Western League Winning percentage Leader Award, and the Western League Excellent Pitcher Award at the NPB AWARD 2020.[8] In the 2020 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, he was selected as the Japan Series roster.[9]

References
  1. "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) 早大勢が６人受賞／東京６大学野球ベストナイン". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). May 31, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  2. In the NPB, in addition to the 70 registered players under management (active roster of players) , each team can have developmental Squad players for the purpose of improving their baseball skills and training manners. They aim to be promoted to registered players under management within the 3 year contract period (Non-tender FA players and contract expired players renew their contract every year.).
  3. "Sankei Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンクが育成の大竹耕太郎を支配下登録　背番号「１３３」から「１０」に変更". Sankei Sports (in Japanese). July 29, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  4. "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンク大竹、史上初育成新人プロ初先発初勝利". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). August 2, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  5. "Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) 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 November 27, 2019.
  6. "Nishinippon Sports baseball news (Japanese) 420日ぶり白星ソフトバンク大竹「黄金」同期の活躍に悔しさと刺激". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). August 14, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  7. "Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) 2020年度 福岡ソフトバンクホークス 個人投手成績 (ウエスタン・リーグ)". NPB.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  8. "Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) 2020年度 表彰選手 (ウエスタン・リーグ)". NPB.jp (in Japanese). December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  9. "Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) SMBC日本シリーズ2020 出場資格者名簿(福岡ソフトバンクホークス)". NPB.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved December 22, 2020.


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