Kiyoshi Toyoda

Kiyoshi Toyoda (豊田 清)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 180 lb.

• School Doho University
• High School Suzuka High School

• Born February 2, 1971 in Kameyama, Mie Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Kiyoshi Toyoda was both a starter and a reliever in a fine 17-year career in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Toyoda won 29 games in college and was picked in the third round of the 1992 NPB draft by the Seibu Lions. He made his NPB debut in 1995, allowing one run in six innings. In 1996, Kiyoshi was 5-5 with a 3.08 ERA. He went 10-6 in 1997 with an ERA of 2.93 and only 128 hits in 150 2/3 IP. He was 4th in the Pacific League in ERA (between Tetsuya Shiozaki and Hideo Koike) and 9th in wins . He also tied Koike and Kip Gross for the PL lead with 3 shutouts. He made his first PL All-Star team, and he completed a shutout inning in the 1997 NPB All-Star Game 2. He developed shoulder problems that year, though, and wound up having surgery.

The Mie native made a comeback in 1998 with a 4-2, 4.35 record in 7 outings. He allowed 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings in game two of the 1998 Japan Series, losing to Takashi Saito. In 1999, Toyoda went 10-4 with a 3.89 ERA and walked only 16 in 122 2/3 IP. He was 5-0 with a save and a 3.80 ERA in 2000. Toyoda was converted to relief following the 2000 campaign. In 2001, he was 5-3 with 28 saves and a 2.83 ERA, striking out 58 in 47 2/3 IP. He was selected into the 2001 NPB All-Star Game, and he pitched a shutout inning in Game 3. He ranked 3rd in saves, between Masahide Kobayashi and Akinori Otsuka.

Toyoda was even better in 2002, and he made his third All-Star squad; he fanned 2 in a shutout inning in the 2002 NPB All-Star Game 2 to get a save. He finished with a 6-1 record, a 0.78 ERA and 38 saves, allowing just 32 hits and 3 walks in 57 1/3 innings while whiffing 66. He broke the PL record for saves (co-held by Otsuka and Rodney Pedraza with 35) and save points and was named Fireman of the Year. Despite his dominance, he barely led the PL in saves as Masahide Kobayashi closed out 37 of his club's wins. Micheal Nakamura would break his save record in 2006. Toyoda saw little work in the 2002 Japan Series when his club was swept, tossing one shutout inning.

The Seibu closer was dominating in 2003 as well with a 2-3, 38 save performance with a 1.24 ERA. In 58 innings, he struck out 54, allowed 37 hits and 9 walks. He made his 4th All-Star team, and he struck out all three batters he faced in the 2003 NPB All-Star Game 2. He was again the Fireman of the Year, and he was 5th in appearances (tied with Hiroshi Shibakusa). In 2004, he went 5-1 with 11 saves and a 0.98 ERA; in 36 2/3 innings, he allowed 26 hits and 5 walks while striking out 39. Toyoda allowed 2 runs in 4 innings in the 2004 Japan Series and registered three saves as the Lions won the Series.

In 2005, Toyoda slumped with a 3-1 record, 19 saves and a 3.97 ERA. He was 4th in saves, between Masanobu Okubo and Koji Mise. The next year, Kiyoshi signed with the Yomiuri Giants as a free agent and was 1-4 with 13 saves and a 3.32 ERA, fanning 46 in 38 innings. He was better than Yomiuri's other closer option, Hisanori Takahashi. Toyoda went 2-5 with 20 holds, 4 saves and a 3.38 ERA in 2007, with 56 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched as Koji Uehara took over closing duties. He was 6th in holds in the Central League, between Tomohiro Umetsu and Masafumi Hirai.

Uehara returned to the rotation in 2008 but Marc Kroon was signed to close in his stead; Toyoda was 3-2 with 26 holds a 3.30 ERA in 50 games. He struck out 49 and walked 5 in 46 1/3 innings. He ranked 4th in holds, between Masafumi Hirai and Jeff Williams. In the 2008 Nippon Series, Toyoda completed a shutout inning in each of Game 4 and 5, then he added 1 1/3 shutout innings in Game 7; the Giants lost to the Lions. Toyoda collected 15 holds with a 1.99 ERA in 46 relief outings in 2009, and he pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings combined in three games in the 2009 Nippon Series. The Giants beat the Nippon Ham Fighters in 6 games, and he won his first title with Yomiuri.

However, he suffered from injuries so he only pitched 16 games with a 4.40 ERA in 2010, and the Giants released him. Toyoda signed with the Hiroshima Carp, and his ERA was 3.08 in 32 games with 7 holds. he announced his retirement, and he became the minor league pitching coach for the Giants from 2012 to 2014. He coached their top team from 2015 to 2018, and he was a broadcaster for NCB in 2019. Toyoda returned to the Lions as their pitching coach in 2020.

Overall, Toyoda was 66-50 with a 2.99 ERA, struck out 859 and pitched 992 1/3 innings, collected 81 holds and 157 saves in 557 appearances in 17 seasons in NPB. As of 2025, he was 65th in games and 19th in saves (between Hirotoshi Masui and Motoyuki Akahori) in NPB history.

Source

• Wiki Japan
• Japan Baseball Daily by Gary Garland