Ryo Sakakibara

Ryo Sakakibara (榊原諒)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 9", Weight 154 lb.

• School Kwansei Gakuin University
• High School Gifu Chukyo High School

• Born August 4, 1985 in Takahama, Aichi Japan

Ryo Sakakibara debuted in Nippon Pro Baseball in 2009.

Sakakibara played for Mitsubishi Motors in the industrial leagues after high school. When the team folded due to a scandal, he went on to college, where he won 32 games. The Nippon Ham Fighters took him in the second round of the 2008 draft. In 2009, the right-hander was 0-1 with a 6.08 ERA and .325 opponent average in 10 games (4 starts). Working out of the Fighters' bullpen in 2010, he had a 10-1, 2.63 record with a 0.99 WHIP. He won the Pacific League Rookie of the Year. The early frontrunner for the award was Sakakibara's college teammate, Takashi Ogino, whose season ended early due to injury.

Sources include japanbaseballdaily.com