Kotaro Yamasaki

Kotaro Yamasaki (山崎 晃大朗)

• Bats Left Throws Left
• Height 5' 8", Weight 163 lb.

• School Nihon University
• High School Aomori Yamada High School

• Born August 11, 1993 in Kinokawa, Wakayama Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Kotaro Yamasaki played in Nippon Pro Baseball for 9 years.

Yamasaki was drafted by the Yakult Swallows in the 5th round of the 2015 NPB draft; the scout was Koji Torihara. He was 3-for-18 in 2016, and he helped Japan won Gold in the 2016 U-23 Baseball World Cup. Yamasaki hit .242/.300/.320 in 59 games in 2017, but he slumped to .184/.295/.237 in 2018 so he only played 23 games. He then recorded a .274/.318/.333 batting line in 80 games in 2019, and he collected 8 steals with a .245/.320/.305 batting line in 2020. Yamasaki batted .247/.311/.335 in 114 games in 2021, and he was 0-for-3 in 5 games in the 2021 Nippon Series. The Swallows beat the Orix Buffaloes in 6 games, and he won his only title. Yamasaki played 118 games with a .258/.309/.334 batting line in 2022, and he hit .200/.200/.273 in 5 games in the 2022 Nippon Series; the Swallows lost to the Buffaloes in 7 games. He hit .241/.293/.255 in 2023, but he was 4-for-30 in 2024 and he announced his retirement. He was named the minor league fielding coach for the Swallows in 2025.

Overall, Yamasaki hit .246/.306/.310 with 356 hits and 7 homers in 9 seasons in NPB.

Sources

• Wiki Japan