Takumu Nakano

Takumu Nakano (中野 拓夢)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 5' 7", Weight 152 lb.

• School Tohoku Fukushi University
• High School Nihon University Yamagata Senior High School

• Born June 28, 1996 in Tendo, Yamagata Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Takumu Nakano has played in Nippon Pro Baseball and for the Japanese national team.

Nakano was drafted by the Hanshin Tigers in the 6th round of the 2020 NPB draft; the scout was Kazuya Tsutsui. He debuted on March 26, 2021, and collected his first career hit off Hiroki Kondoh. Replacing Hayato Sakamoto late in 2021 NPB All-Star Game 1, he drew a 9th-inning bases-loaded walk from Naoya Masuda to force in Zelous Wheeler with the winner for the Central League. In Game 2, he was retired by Wataru Matsumoto and Yuki Tsumori then replaced by Sakamoto. He got 127 hits in his rookie season, and became the first rookie shortstop in the Tigers' history to collected 100 hits since Yoshio Yoshida did it in 1952. He also led the league with 30 stolen bases (only caught twice; he was six swipes ahead of runner-up Koji Chikamoto) and 20 sacrifice hits, became the first rookie shortstop in NPB history to led the league in stolen bases. He also tied the record held by Tetsuto Yamada for highest stolen-base percentage by a league leader in stolen bases. He was 4th in voting for the 2021 CL Rookie of the Year behind Ryoji Kuribayashi, Shugo Maki and Yasunobu Okugawa.

He was again an All-Star in 2022. In Game 1, he was retired by Taisuke Yamaoka and struck out against Fumiya Ono then was replaced by Hideki Nagaoka at short. In Game 2, he replaced Nagaoka and went 0 for 2, facing Yuki Matsui in the 7th and Yuki Matsui (K) in the 9th. Nakano batted .276/.301/.346 with 23 stolen bases and 6 dingers in 2022, and won his first career Best Nine award as a shortstop in this year. He had 205 votes to 88 for runner-up Nagaoka. He was 4th in the CL in swipes and tied Tetsuto Yamada for 7th with 69 runs.

Nakano then made Japan's roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was 3 for 10 with a triple and four walks for the champs, backing up Sosuke Genda. He was retired by Tae-in Won his first time up. His three-bagger was off Cheol-won Jeong. Nakano extended his solid performance in 2023, and he hit .285/.349/.343 with 164 hits and 20 steals. He led the league in hits, sacrifice bunts (21) and plate appearances, and he was 6th in triples, 2nd in steals (8 behind Chikamoto) and 9th in batting (between Chikamoto and Takumi Oshiro). He was also selected into the 2023 NPB All-Star Games, and he collected a hit in both games (off Soichiro Yamazaki in Game 1 and Kaima Taira in Game 2). He won his first NPB Gold Glove, and he won 164 votes in the CL MVP voting to finish 7th, between Katsuki Azuma and Kazuma Okamoto. . Nakano hit .320/.370/.320 in the 2023 Nippon Series, and he won his first title as the Tigers beat the Orix Buffaloes in 7 games.

The Yamagata native was voted into the 2024 NPB All-Star Game, and he went 1-for-4, with a single against Andres Machado in the 5th inning of Game 2. He struggled that season, through, and his batting line fell to .232/.297/.282 in all 143 games; he was only 6-for-13 in steals to boot. Nakano bounced back soon, and he collected 19 steals with a .282/.339/.328 batting line in 2025. He was 5th in batting (between Masayuki Kuwahara and Chikamoto), 6th in hits (150), 8th in triples (3) and 4th in steals (19 in 26 tries, between Masaki Mimori and Ryutaro Hatsuki). He attended the 2025 NPB All-Star Game, but he went 0-for-1 in each of two games. His batting line was .200/.273/.200 in 5 games in the 2025 Nippon Series, and the Tigers lost to the Softbank Hawks in 5 games. Nakano won his second Gold Glove, and he won his first Best Nine as the league's top second baseman; he won 262 votes and easily beat Maki's 5 votes. Nakano also collected 3 votes in the MVP voting to tie Jon Duplantier and Hiroya Shimamoto for 15th.