Hayato Sakamoto
From BR Bullpen
Hayato Sakamoto (坂本 勇人)
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 171 lb.
- High School Kosei Gakuin High School
- Born December 14, 1988 in Itami, Hyogo Japan
[edit] Biographical Information
Hayato Sakamoto set several "firsts" as a rookie in Japan.
Sakamoto was born a left-hander but learned to throw right-handed because he had a hand-me-down glove from his brother. Hayato debuted as a pro with the Yomiuri Giants in 2007, going 1 for 3 with a steal, run and 2 RBI.
Sakamoto hit .257/.297/.353 in 2008 and made the Central League All-Star team. Sakamoto became the first rookie to be in the Opening Day lineup of the Giants since Hideki Matsui. On April 6, he hit a grand slam off Kenta Abe, becoming the youngest CL player to hit a grand slam. He started every game as a rookie, the first CL player ever to do so in their second year out of high school - only two prior players had ever done it in Nippon Pro Baseball, superstars Futoshi Nakanishi and Kazuhiro Kiyohara. In the process, he bumped All-Star Tomohiro Nioka from the shortstop spot. Sakamoto finished second in voting for the 2008 Central League Rookie of the Year Award, behind teammate Tetsuya Yamaguchi. He was 3 for 18 with a walk, double and homer in the 2008 Japan Series. The home run was the first by a teenager in the Japan Series since Kiyohara in 1986.
Sakamoto improved significantly in 2009, hitting .306/.357/.466 with 33 doubles, 18 home runs and 87 runs, making another All-Star squad. He tied Hirokazu Ibata for 4th in the CL in average behind Alex Ramirez, Seiichi Uchikawa and Michihiro Ogasawara. He tied Norichika Aoki and Tony Blanco for the league lead in runs scored, was second in hits (178, 8 behind teammate Ramirez), was 4th in doubles (behind Masahiko Morino, Tomoaki Kanemoto and Ramirez), was 6th in total bases (271), tied Aaron Guiel for 5th in strikeouts (101), was 10th in OBP and was 10th in slugging.
