Kiyomiya Kotaro (Nipponham Fighters), “Japan’s Kang Baek-ho,” who has drawn attention since he faced off as a youth representative, is set to select his first national team in seven years since his professional debut. Kiyomiya, who set a career high record this season, has been appointed as a substitute, with Kazuma Okamoto (Yomiuri Giants), the No. 4 candidate for the national team at the same first base and third base position, leaving his team-mate, Juusei Manami, who participated in the APBC (Asian Professional Baseball Championship), due to injury.
Sports magazine Sports Nippon reported on the morning of the 28th, “Nipponham’s Kiyomiya looks at the world’s big guns,” adding, “The possibility of being elected for the first time for the Japanese national team has increased.” 먹튀검증
“Okamoto, who can take on the first base, third base and left field, was eliminated from the national team, and Kiyomiya of the same position has been selected as a substitute. (Kiyomiya) participated in defense training for batting, first base and third base during fall training for the second tier team on Wednesday,” the media outlet said. “(Kiyomiya) is more likely to take part in defense training for the second tier team. He still explains that he has a bigger chance of hitting, and that he is highly likely to take the lead, but this is virtually confirmed. Kiyomiya has been selected for the Japanese national team for the first time since her debut as a professional player in 2018. Kiyomiya will participate in training camp for the Japanese national team that will start in Miyazaki, Japan on Friday.
Kiyomiya was famous enough to be expected to become Japan’s best hitter when she was a prospect. She won the Little League World Series as an elementary school student and also had a youth representative experience. Kiyomiya also made her name known in Korea as “Japan’s Kang Baek-ho” through the World Youth Baseball World Cup held in Canada in 2017.
Kiyomiya reportedly had 111 home runs that were not officially recognized, including records of practice games during her high school years. She was the top pick in the draft from seven teams. In addition to Nippon Ham, seven teams including the Yomiuri Giants, Hanshin Tigers, Yakult Swallows, Softbank Hawks, Chiba Lotte Marines, and Rakuten Golden Eagles have started recruiting Kiyomiya. After drawing lots, Nippon Ham has become the lucky star.
Kiyomiya, however, faced a wall right after joining the pro league. In the three years since her debut as a pro, she hit 21 home runs in 230 games. In 2021, Kiyomi was humiliatingly unable to play in even a single game in the first team. In 2022, she hit 18 home runs, her career-high record, in 129 games, but ended up with a half-success as her batting average only reached 0.219. As she did not perform well in the pro league, she did not have a chance to pursue a career in the national team. In March 2019, her second year of participation in the championship fell through due to an injury ahead of an exhibition match against Mexico.
This year, he spent his career-high season with a batting average of 0.300 and 15 homers in 89 games. He failed to meet the required number of at-bats, but his OPS reached a whopping 0.898. Amid the extreme pitching and batter seasons, he had a batting average of 300, double-digit homers and an OPS close to 0.900.
Kiyomiya wrote on Sports Nippon, “I think I was lucky to see if I can say I came back after turning around,” adding, “(Compared to my youth representation), I have not changed my mind to fight under the national flag. I know that I feel more pressure than I did in high school. I want to play well.”
“It’s rare to see a professional baseball player team up to win, regardless of his or her performance. I think that’s what appeals to fans,” he said, displaying his commitment to the national team.
Meanwhile, the Japanese national team announced the list of 28 players for the Premier 12 national team on Tuesday. However, four players were replaced due to injury during the postseason. In addition to Okamoto and Manami, pitcher Ito Hiromi (Nipponham) and infielder Naoki Yoshikawa (Yomiuri) were also excluded. Koyomiya, pitcher Haruto Inoue (Yomiuri), infielder Muribayashi Itsuki (Rakuten Golden Eagles), and outfielder Masayuki Kawahara (DeNA BayStars) were designated as substitutes.
