Shintaro Yokota

Shintaro Yokota

Yokota with the Hanshin Tigers
Hanshin Tigers – No. 24
Outfielder
Born: (1995-06-09) June 9, 1995
Bats: Left Throws: Left
NPB debut
February 28, 2015, for the Hanshin Tigers
Teams

Shintaro Yokota (横田 慎太郎 Yokota Shintarō, born June 9, 1995 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.[1]

Early Baseball Career

Born in Tokyo, Shintaro is the son of Masashi Yokota, a former outfielder for the Lotte Orions (now Chiba Lotte Marines).[1][2] His family migrated to Kagoshima when he was 3,[3] and he started playing softball in third grade all the way to junior high.[4]

He entered Kagoshima Jitsugyō High School, and batted 4th in his 1st year. From his third year onwards, he doubled as a pitcher, and with a fastball that surpassed 140 km/h, became the school's ace.[3] Unfortunately, his team always got eliminated during the prefectural tournament.[1] He recorded a total of 29 home runs during his high school career.[1][4]

Hanshin Tigers

He was the Tiger's 2nd pick in the 2013 annual professional baseball draft. He inherited Shinjiro Hiyama's former jersey number, 24.

Playing Style

His physical prowess is highly praised, and even likened to that of Yoshio Itoi's, earning him the moniker "Itoi junior".[5] He employs solid batting techniques, and has also been known to have a good sense for the ball.[6][7] Not only does he possess an arm strength worthy of a pitcher, his speed (6.1 seconds for a 50-meter dash) is also one of his better selling points.[5][6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "阪神Ｄ２・横田"糸井級"証明！木製バットで１３０メートル弾". Sankei Sports. 2013-10-26. Retrieved 2013-11-01.
  2. ↑ "阪神２位横田は父子でプロ野球選手に". Nikkan Sports. 2013-10-24. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  3. 1 2 "【阪神】和田監督、ドラ２横田に掛布塾入門指令！". Sports Hochi. 2013-10-27. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  4. 1 2 "阪神ドラ２横田　大先輩・杉内と対決熱望". Nikkan Sports. 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  5. 1 2 "昨年の阪神２位・横田の開花に期待". Daily Sports. Retrieved 2014-10-24.
  6. 1 2 "ホーム>野球>ドラフト会議2013>阪神タイガース". Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  7. ↑ 「週間ベースボール」(Weekly Baseball) November 11, 2013 edition

External links

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