Takahiro Norimoto

Takahiro Norimoto (則本 昂大)

• Bats Right, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10", Weight 178 lb.
• School Mie Chukyo University
• High School Hachiman Commercial High School

• Born December 17, 1990 in Taga, Shiga Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Takahiro Norimoto won a Rookie of the Year Award in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Norimoto went 33-0 in college and won a MVP. He was a second-round pick of the Rakuten Golden Eagles in the 2012 NPB draft, following Yudai Mori in round one; the scout was Jun Yamada. He became the 13th rookie to start on Opening Day in Pacific League annals, thanks to ace Masahiro Tanaka being tired from the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He allowed four earned runs in 6 1/3 IP in a loss to Tadashi Settsu and the SoftBank Hawks. He was very good overall as a rookie in 2013 at 15-8, 3.34 with 134 K, 142 H and 51 BB in 170 IP as the #2 Rakuten starter after Tanaka. He tied Chihiro Kaneko and Settsu for second in the PL in wins (9 behind Tanaka), was 7th in ERA (between Mitsuo Yoshikawa and Ken Togame) and 6th in whiffs (between Yuki Nishi and Yoshikawa). He then became the third rookie to start Game 1 of a Japan Series, following two guys from the 1950s: Nobuo Oshima (1950) and Taketoshi Ogami (1952). He did very well, fanning 10 and allowing only four hits and two runs in eight innings against the Yomiuri Giants, but lost to Tetsuya Utsumi, who flung a shutout. The only runs came when Hisayoshi Chono singled in Yoshiyuki Kamei in the 5th and on a Shuichi Murata 8th-inning homer. He surprisingly relieved in game 5, replacing Wataru Karashima. He allowed another Murata homer in the 7th; in the 9th, Yoshinobu Takahashi doubled and Murata singled him in. In the top of the 10th, Norimoto drew a leadoff walk from Kentaro Nishimura, scoring later on a hit by Ginji Akaminai for the win. Norimoto became the 14th rookie to record a win in a Japan Series. In Game 7, he joined with starter Manabu Mima and Tanaka, tossing two shutout innings (2 H) to help Rakuten win its first Japan Series. Mima was named Series MVP. He easily won the 2013 Pacific League Rookie of the Year Award, with 223 of 233 votes, 219 more than runner-ups Shohei Otani and Tatsuya Sato. He also was 4th in voting for the 2013 Pacific League Most Valuable Player Award behind Tanaka, Yuya Hasegawa and Casey McGehee.

The Shiga native did not suffer a sophomore slump, going 14-10 with a 3.02 ERA and 204 K to 39 BB in 202 2/3 IP in 2014. He was 4th in the PL in ERA (between Otani and Nishi), second in wins (two shy of Kaneko), led in complete games (9, 4 ahead of Kishi), led with 7 shutouts (as many as #2 Kishi and #3 Kaneko combined), led in IP (11 1/3 more than Kaneko) and led in Ks (5 more than Kaneko, denying him a pitching Triple Crown). He was also selected into the 2014 NPB All-Star Game, and he pitched 2 innings with a solo shot allowed to Tetsuto Yamada. Then, in the 2014 Nichi-Bei Series, he threw a perfect game against the MLB All-Stars for five innings, sending down Robinson Cano, Yasiel Puig, Evan Longoria and Justin Morneau twice each. Nishi relieved and blew the perfecto but Nishi, Kazuhisa Makita and Yuji Nishino combined to finish off a historic no-hitter, the first a NPB All-Star team no-hit a MLB All-Star squad.

Norimoto was still solid in 2015, and he was 10-11 with a 2.91 ERA. He led the league in strikeouts and innings, and he was 7th in wins (tied with Tadashi Settsu, Nishi, Daiki Tohmei, Luis Mendoza and Jason Standridge), 3rd in complete games (3) and 3rd in ERA (between Nishi and Shota Takeda). He then represented Japan in the 2015 Premier 12. Norimoto relieved Shohei Ohtani in he 7th inning against South Korea, and he pitched two shutout innings. He then fanned 3 in 2 shutout innings to get the win against the USA, and he added a shutout inning versus Puerto Rico. Norimoto again succeeded Ohtani versus South Korea in the 8th inning in the semifinals, and he pitched a shutout inning. However, he allowed back-to-back singles to pinch-hitters Jae-won Oh and Ah-seop Son, and Keun-woo Jeong added a RBI double. Norimoto then plunked Yong-kyu Lee, and Yuki Matsui replaced him. All four batter he allowed to reach the bases scored, and Norimoto got the loss. Japan won Bronze in the event.

The ace of Rakuten extended his dominant in 2016, and he became the first pitcher in 2-league era to start in the opening game for 4 straight years since debut. He had a 11-11 record with a 2.91 ERA, and led the league in Ks for the third straight years. He also led the league in starts and innings, and he was 6th in wins (tied with Kohei Arihara), 2nd in losses (tied with Brandon Dickson and Kona Takahashi) and 4th in ERA (between Kodai Senga and Arihara). Norimoto was also selected into the 2016 NPB All-Star Game, and he allowed two homers against Wladimir Balentien and Yoshi Tsutsugo in 2 innings in Game 2. He then represented Japan in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, but he struggled again. He allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings against Cuba, and he surrendered a game-tying RBI single to Balentien of Netherlands. Japan won Silver in the event.

Norimoto became the first pitcher to pitch 8 straight games with double-digit strikeouts in NPB history. He was 15-7 with a 2.57 ERA in 2017, and he led the league in strikeouts (222) and completed games (8). He also ranked 3rd in wins (1 behind leaders Yusei Kikuchi and Nao Higashihama) and 2nd in ERA (.60 behind Kikuchi). He attended the 2017 NPB All-Star Game, and he struck out 3 in 2 shutout innings as PL's starter in Game 2. Norimoto was 10-11 with a 3.69 ERA in 2018, and he again led the league in strikeouts and innings. He was the first PL pitcher to lead the league in strikeouts for 5 straight years, following Keishi Suzuki. Norimoto was also 9th in wins (tied with Nishi, Nick Martinez and Rick Vanden Hurk), 2nd in complete games (4, tied with Kishi and Naoyuki Uwasawa), 3rd in losses (tied with Martinez) and 6th in ERA (between Hideaki Wakui and Nishi).

In 2019, Norimoto suffered from shoulder injury, so he only started 12 games with a 5-5 record and a 2.78 ERA. He then went 5-7 with a 3.96 ERA in 2020, and he was 6th in strikeouts (between Arihara and Shuta Ishikawa). Norimoto was healty in 2021, and he pitched 2 shutout innings with 3 strikeouts in the 2021 NPB All-Star Game. He was 11-5 with a 3.17 ERA, and he ranked 4th in wins (tied with Takahashi), 2nd in strikeouts (54 behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto) and 6th in ERA (between Tanaka and Tatsuya Imai). He attended the 2022 NPB All-Star Game, and he pitched a shutout inning with 2 strikeouts against Shugo Maki and Munetaka Murakami in Game 1. He ended up 10-8 with a 3.53 ERA in 2022, and he was 5th in wins (tied with Higashihama, Mima, Dietrich Enns, Hiromi Itoh and Kaito Yoza).

Norimoto came back in 2023, and he went 8-8 with a 2.61 ERA. He was 5th in innings and 5th in ERA (between Kaima Taira and Takayuki Kato). The Golden Eagles lost their long-time close Yuki Matsui after that season, so Norimoto announced that he would become their closer. He fit the role well, and he notched 32 saves with a 3.46 ERA in 54 appearances. He led the league in saves and appearances, and he was the first pitcher to have led the PL in saves and strikeouts. He also attended the 2024 NPB All-Star Game, and he pitched a shutout innings on Game 1 with 2 strikeouts to Shogo Sakakura and Ryuki Watarai. Norimoto notched 16 saves and 10 holds with a 3.05 ERA in 56 games in 2025, and he was 5th in appearances and 4th in saves (between Andres Machado and Seigi Tanaka). He announced that he would become a free agent after that season, and he signed with the Yomiuri Giants.

Sources

• Wiki Japan
• Yakyu Baka
• Japanball.com