Hirotoshi Takanashi

Hirotoshi Takanashi (高梨 裕稔)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 180 lb.

• School Yamanashi Gakuin University
• High School Toke High School

• Born June 5, 1991 in Mobara, Chiba Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Hirotoshi Takanashi has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Takanashi was taken by the Nippon Ham Fighters in the 4th round of the 2013 NPB draft. He made his NPB debut on May 3, 2015. He hit the first batter, Yoshifumi Okada, then gave up a single to Daichi Suzuki but got Katsuya Kakunaka to hit into a double play and escaped the inning unscathed. In the 2nd, Luis Cruz homered and Takanashi finished the day after 3 1/3 IP with five hits, three walks, three strikeouts, four runs and three earned runs before Akihiro Hakumura relieved. He took the decision in a 7-2 loss to the Chiba Lotte Marines. He was 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA in two NPB games that year, but was 11-6 with a 3.38 ERA and 122 K in 114 2/3 IP in the minor Eastern League. He was 4th in the EL in ERA (between Yuki Koyama and Kota Futaki), second in wins (1 behind Makoto Aiuchi) and led in strikeouts.

The Chiba native was excellent with the Fighters in 2016 (10-2, 2.38 in 37 G, 14 GS). He tied Hirotoshi Masui, Yuki Nishi, Shohei Otani and Hideaki Wakui for 8th in the Pacific League in wins. Had he qualified, he would have been second in ERA behind Ayumu Ishikawa (Otani also had a better ERA, but also did not qualify). He got the start in game 4 of the 2016 Japan Series, with the Fighters down 2 games to 1 to the Hiroshima Carp. He allowed two hits and one unearned run in five but walked five and left with a 1-0 deficit, relieved by Anthony Bass; Nippon Ham rallied for a 3-1 win and would win the Series. He won the 2016 Pacific League Rookie of the Year Award, getting 131 votes, fifteen ahead of Eigoro Mogi. He won 4 votes in the MVP voting, tying Dai-Kang Yoh and Yoshio Itoi for the 14th place.

Takanashi was 7-7 with a 3.68 ERA in 2017, and he went 5-7 with a 4.50 ERA in 2018. The Fighters then traded him with Kengo Ohta to the Yakult Swallows for Ryota Yachi and Ryo Akiyoshi, but he slumped to 8-7 with a 6.23 ERA in 2019. He led the Central League with 7 wild pitches. Takanashi was 3-6 with a 4.12 ERA in 2020, and he improved to 4-1 with a 3.63 ERA in 2021. He started in the 2021 Nippon Series Game 6, and he pitched 4 1/3 innings with only a run allowed. The Swallows beat the Orix Buffaloes, and he won his second title. Takanashi then had a 7-9 record with a 4.30 ERA in 2022, and he tied Yuki Nishi, Aren Kuri and Daichi Osera for 2nd in losses. He had a 4.69 ERA in 15 games in 2023, and he only pitched 8 games with a 4.14 ERA in 2024. Takanashi returned to rotation in 2025, and he went 3-6 with a 3.10 ERA.

Sources

• Wiki Japan
• Yakyudb.com