Kaima Taira
{{short description|Japanese baseball player (born 1999)}}
{{Infobox NPB player
|name=Kaima Taira
|image=鎌ヶ谷スタジアム 0320 平良海馬2.jpg
|image_size=250px
|caption=Taira in 2022
|position=Pitcher
|team=Saitama Seibu Lions
|number=61
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1999|11|15}}
|birth_place=Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan
|debutleague=NPB
|debutdate=July 19
|debutyear=2019
|debutteam=Saitama Seibu Lions
|statyear=June 26, 2025
|stat1label=Win–loss record
|stat1value=22–18
|stat2label=Earned Run Average
|stat2value=1.91
|stat3label=Strikeouts
|stat3value=453
|stat4label=Saves
|stat4value=49
|stat5label=Holds
|stat5value=103
|teams=
- Saitama Seibu Lions ({{npby|2018}}–present)
| awards=
- Pacific League Rookie of the Year ({{npby|2020}} )
- 3× NPB All-Star ({{npby|2021}}–{{npby|2023}})
- Pitched a combined no-hitter (April 18, 2025)
- 20 holds and 20 saves in one season ({{npby|2021}}){{cite web | url=https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/202110140001114.html | title=【データ】パ初！西武平良海馬が同一シーズン20セーブ＋20ホールド - プロ野球 : 日刊スポーツ }}
NPB record
- 39 consecutive appearances without allowing a run
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's baseball}}
{{Medal|Country|{{bb|JPN}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | Summer Olympics}}
{{MedalGold | 2020 Tokyo | Team}}
}}
{{nihongo|Kaima Taira|平良 海馬|Taira Kaima|extra=born November 15, 1999}} is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).{{cite web |last= |title=Register: Taira, Kaima (Saitama Seibu Lions) |url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/players/31035136.html |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=Nippon Professional Baseball}}{{cite web|url=https://www.seibulions.jp/team/player/detail/2020_61.html|title=61 平良 海馬選手名鑑2020 ｜埼玉西武ライオンズ|access-date=24 October 2020|archive-date=23 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201023133909/https://www.seibulions.jp/team/player/detail/2020_61.html|url-status=dead}}
Career
Taira was drafted by the Saitama Seibu Lions with the team's fourth selection in the 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) draft out of {{Interlanguage link|Yaeyama Commercial High School|ja|沖縄県立八重山商工高等学校}}.{{Cite web |last= |title=埼玉西武ライオンズ 選択選手一覧 {{!}} 2017年 プロ野球ドラフト会議 supported by リポビタンＤ |trans-title=2017 Professional Baseball Draft Meeting supported by Lipovitan D |url=https://npb.jp/draft/2017/draftlist_l.html |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=Nippon Professional Baseball |language=ja}} Taira spent the 2018 season with Seibu's farm team, posting a 5.40 ERA in 10 appearances.
On July 19, 2019, Taira made his NPB debut. He finished this season with a 2–1 record and 3.38 ERA in 26 appearances. The following season, Taira played in 54 games for Seibu, posting a stellar 1.87 ERA in 53 innings of work.{{Cite web |title=Kaima Taira Japanese Leagues Statistics & History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=taira-000kai |website=Baseball Reference}} Because of his efforts, Taira was named the 2020 Pacific League Rookie of the Year.{{Cite web |title=Digital Extra – Okinawan native Taira wins the Pacific League Rookie of the Year award after recording no losses and 33 holds as a relief pitcher for the Seibu Lions |url=http://english.ryukyushimpo.jp/2020/12/22/33215/ |website=Ryukyu Shimpo}}
On June 28, 2021, Taira tied the NPB record for consecutive mound appearances without giving up a run, with 38, a record also held by former Hanshin Tigers pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa.{{cite tweet|number=1409518907140968454|user=NPB_Reddit|title=Seibu Lions pitcher Kaima Taira tied the NPB record for consecutive mound appearances without giving up a run, at 3… |date=28 June 2021}} On July 1, Taira passed Fujikawa and set a new NPB record by making his 39th consecutive mound appearance without giving up a run.{{cite tweet|number=1410619032168919053|user=NPB_Reddit|title=Seibu Lions pitcher Kaima Taira set a new NPB record by making his 39th consecutive mound appearance without giving… |date=1 July 2021}} Taira's streak ended during his next appearance on July 6, when he allowed an RBI hit to Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters hitter {{Interlanguage link|Yuto Takahama|ja|髙濱祐仁}}.{{cite tweet|number=1412441964402790401|user=NPB_Reddit|title=Seibu Lions pitcher Kaima Taira's NPB record setting streak of consecutive mound appearances without giving up a ru… |date=6 July 2021}} In 2021, Taira was named an NPB All-Star for the first time in his career.
On April 18, 2025, Tatsuya Imai and Taira combined to no-hit the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at the Belluna Dome. Imai pitched the first eight innings, with Taira coming in the complete the no-hitter in the ninth inning.{{Cite web |title="No-hitter, one-run" Seibu's first rare record in 61 years. Tatsuya Imai led a "no hit, no runs game" for the fifth time in professional baseball |url=https://pacificleague.com/en/news/2025/4/10038913 |access-date=May 7, 2025 |website=Pacific League |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Baseballstats|brm=taira-000kai}}
- [https://npb.jp/bis/eng/players/31035136.html Career statistics - NPB.jp]
{{Saitama Seibu Lions roster navbox}}
{{Pacific League ROYs}}
{{Japan baseball roster 2020 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Taira, Kaima}}
Category:Baseball people from Okinawa Prefecture
Category:Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
Category:Saitama Seibu Lions players
Category:Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners
Category:Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic baseball players for Japan
Category:Olympic medalists in baseball
Category:Olympic gold medalists for Japan
Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
{{Japan-baseball-pitcher-stub}}