Yuki Watanabe
{{short description|Japanese baseball player}}
{{Infobox NPB player
| name = Yuki Watanabe
| image = Y watanabe20190313.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Watanabe with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
| position = Pitcher
| team = Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
| number = 172
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|11|8}}
| birth_place = Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, Japan
| bats = Left
| throws = Left
| debutleague = NPB
| debutdate = July 25
| debutyear = 2019
| debutteam = Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
| statyear = 2022 season
| statleague = NPB
| stat1label = Win–loss record
| stat1value = 0-0
| stat2label = ERA
| stat2value = 2.89
| stat3label = Holds
| stat3value = 3
| stat4label = Saves
| stat4value =
| stat5label = Strikeouts
| stat5value = 17
| teams =
- Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles ({{npby|2017}}–{{npby|2022}})
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks ({{npby|2023}}–present)
| awards =
|medaltemplates=
}}
{{Nihongo|Yuki Watanabe|渡邊 佑樹|Watanabe Yūki|born November 8, 1995}} is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
He previously played for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.
Professional career
=Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles=
On October 26, 2017, Watanabe was drafted by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.{{cite news|url=https://hochi.news/articles/20180106-OHT1T50287.html?page=1|title=Sports Hochi baseball news 【楽天】ドラ4渡辺佑樹、山梨盛り上げる「欲しいのは勝利だけ」|language=ja-JP|newspaper=Sports Hochi|date=January 7, 2018|accessdate=November 20, 2022}}
In 2018 season, he played in the Eastern League of NPB's second league.
On July 25, 2019, Watanabe pitched his debut game against the Saitama Seibu Lions as a relief pitcher.{{cite news|url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/baseball/news/2019/07/25/kiji/20190725s00001173448000c.html|title=Sports Nippon baseball news 楽天 渡辺佑が1軍デビュー戦で3者連続三振！「2軍と違って歓声が大きくて…」|language=ja-JP|newspaper=Sports Nippon|date=July 25, 2019|accessdate=November 21, 2022}} In 2019 season, he pitched in one game in the Pacific League.
In 2020 season, he never got a chance to pitch in the first league. On December 8, 2020, the Eagles re-signed him as a developmental player with an estimated salary of 5 million yen.{{cite news|url=https://www.sanspo.com/article/20201208-CT4UYHTTOFLMDFQ22K4ZMDERIY/|title=Sankei Sports baseball news 楽天・渡辺佑が育成契約「一日でも早く支配下登録」|language=ja-JP|newspaper=Sankei Sports|date=December 8, 2020|accessdate=November 21, 2022}}
In 2021 season, Watanabe changed his pitching form to sidearm last offseason and it paid off.{{cite news|url=https://hochi.news/articles/20210218-OHT1T50296.html?page=1|title=Sports Hochi baseball news 【楽天】育成・渡辺佑樹が3戦0封で支配下登録見えた…昨年戦力外でサイドに挑戦|language=ja-JP|newspaper=Sports Hochi|date=February 19, 2021|accessdate=November 21, 2022}} On March 1, 2021, the Eagles re-signed him as a registered player under control.{{cite news|url=https://www.daily.co.jp/baseball/2021/03/01/0014116931.shtml|title=Daily Sports baseball news 楽天 渡辺佑樹と支配下契約 戦力外通告からサイドスロー転向で再起|language=ja-JP|newspaper=Daily Sports|date=March 1, 2021|accessdate=November 4, 2022}} He pitched in nine games with a 5.40 ERA and two holds.
In 2022 season, Watanabe had a 2.13 ERA and one hold in 13 appearances and 12.2 innings, but the Eagles announced on October 22, that he was a free agent.{{cite news|url=https://www.sanspo.com/article/20221022-NKOERYE3WZOIREYM6DSHT6UPXA/|title=Sankei Sports baseball news 楽天が2012年D2位・釜田佳直ら5人の戦力外を発表|language=ja-JP|newspaper=Sankei Sports|date=October 22, 2022|accessdate=November 21, 2022}}
=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks=
On November 21, 2022, the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks announced that they had signed Watanabe as a developmental player.{{cite web|url=https://www.softbankhawks.co.jp/news/detail/00006066.html|title=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2022/11/21(月) プレスリリース 渡邊佑樹投手入団のお知らせ|language=ja-JP|website=Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site|date= November 21, 2022|accessdate= November 21, 2022}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Yuki Watanabe (born 1995)}}
{{Baseballstats|brm=watana001yuk}}
- [https://npb.jp/bis/eng/players/73375136.html Career statistics - NPB.jp]
- [https://www.rakuteneagles.jp/en/team/player/detail/2022_79.html 79 Yuki Watanabe PLAYERS2022] - Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles Official site
{{Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks roster navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watanabe, Yuki}}
Category:Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players
Category:Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles players
Category:21st-century Japanese sportsmen
Category:Japanese baseball players