Kenta Tanigawara

Japanese baseball player (born 1997)
Baseball player
Kenta Tanigawara
Tanigawara with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 45
Catcher
Born: (1997-04-16) April 16, 1997 (age 27)
Toyohashi, Aichi, Japan
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
NPB debut
June 19, 2021, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.206
Home runs1
RBI16
Hits32
Stolen base4
Sacrifice bunt3
Teams
  • Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2016–present)
Career highlights and awards
  • 1× Japan Series champion (2020)

Kenta Tanigawara (谷川原 健太, Tanigawara Kenta, born April 16, 1997) is a Japanese professional baseball Catcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).

Professional career

On October 22, 2015, Tanigawara was drafted by the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the 2015 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[1]

In 2016–2020 season, he played in the Western League of NPB's minor leagues and played in informal matches against Shikoku Island League Plus's teams.

In the 2020 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, he was selected as the Japan Series roster.[2]

On June 19, 2021, Tanigawara debuted in the Pacific League against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and recorded his first Home run.[3] In 2021 season, he played 59 games and was used primarily as a substitute and defensive lineman.

In 2022 season, Tanigawara contributed to the team primarily as an outfield defender and substitute, finishing the season with a .234 batting average and eight runs batted in in 75 games. However, while COVID-19 caused the team's main players to be eliminated from the Player registration one after another, he went 4 hits-for-4 at bats with four RBI against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on August 23.[4] He was a member of the "Chikugo Hawks" and supported the team until the main players returned. (a nickname given to the younger reserve players. Chikugo is the name of the place where the Hawks farm team is located.)[5]

Tanigawara mainly contributed to the team as a reserve player in the late stages of games by playing catcher and outfield defense, but he appeared as a starter for the first time in a match against the Chiba Lotte Marines on July 29, 2023.[6] In 2023 season, he played 61 games, and finished the season with a .233 batting average, 3 stolen bases, and a 3 RBIs.

References

  1. ^ "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンク3位谷川原、高橋純平とバッテリー希望". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). October 27, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  2. ^ "Nippon Professional Baseball (Japanese) SMBC日本シリーズ2020 出場資格者名簿(福岡ソフトバンクホークス)". NPB.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news ソフトバンク打線の起爆剤だ 谷川原 初出場初安打初アーチに「最高の形」". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). June 19, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 【動画】愛称はゴンゾー 柳田悠岐のバットで4安打「師匠が乗り移った」谷川原健太の活躍にファン驚き". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). August 23, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  5. ^ "Sports Hochi baseball news 【ソフトバンク】"筑後ホークス"大暴れ 野村大樹、谷川原健太、増田珠で初回4点」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). August 25, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  6. ^ "Nishinippon Sports baseball news ソフトバンク藤本監督、谷川原健太にプロ初スタメンマスクを託した理由「どんどん勉強していけばいい」". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). July 29, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kenta Tanigawara.
  • Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
  • Career statistics - NPB.jp
  • 45 Kenta Tanigawara PLAYERS2024 - Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site
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Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks current roster
Pitchers
Catchers
InfieldersOutfielders
Developmental player
Pitchers
  • 120 Hiroki Sato
  • 125 Yuri Furukawa
  • 126 Yuwa Miyasato
  • 133 Kotaro Hoshino
  • 134 Shinno Ohshiro
  • 135 Alexander Armenta
  • 136 Fuga Otake
  • 137 Ryota Nakamura
  • 139 Sanshiro Izaki
  • 140 Mizuki Miura
  • 141 Mailon Felix
  • 142 Haruto Fujiwara
  • 143 Shun Murakami
  • 145 Hammond
  • 146 Jumpei Fujita
  • 147 Koki Kato
  • 148 Takuma Yamasaki
  • 152 Masaki Takimoto
  • 154 Takuma Sato
  • 156 Luis Rodríguez
  • 157 Jui Kobayashi
  • 158 Ren Akaba
  • 160 Keishin Nagamizu
  • 161 Kaito Uchino
  • 162 Jumpei Okaue
  • 163 Akito Sasaki
  • 164 Souta Minakuchi
  • 165 Hayato Miyazaki
  • 167 Jun Maeda
  • 172 Yuki Watanabe
  • 174 Takuya Kuwahara
  • 176 Dario Sarduy
Catchers
  • 121 Soichiro Ishizuka
  • 151 Sora Kato
  • 171 Ryota Morishima
Infielders
  • 122 Keio Fujino
  • 124 Shuji Kuwahara
  • 128 Daisuke Itoh
  • 129 Kyoshiro Sakura
  • 130 Haruki Katsuren
  • 131 Koki Nakazawa
  • 149 Takuto Sakuma
  • 153 Yoshiki Mishiro
  • 159 Kyogo Yamashita
  • 168 Kota Sato
  • 169 Yusei Tobita
  • 170 Ayuma Nishio
  • 175 David Almonte
Outfielders
  • 123 Shuya Ohizumi
  • 144 Marco Simon
  • 150 Keita Yamamoto
  • 166 Kaito Shigematsu
  • 173 Jose Osuna
Managers / Coaches
First squad
Second squad
Third squad
Fourth squad


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