Tetsuto Yamada

Tetsuto Yamada
Tetsuto Yamada
	Yamada with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2016
Tokyo Yakult Swallows – No. 1
	Second baseman
	Born: July 16, 1992 (age 32); Toyooka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
	Bats: Right Throws: Right
NPB debut
	April 5, 2012, for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
NPB statistics ; (through 2024 season)
Batting average	.279
Hits	1,565
Home runs	299
Runs batted in	880
Stolen bases	195
Teams
	Tokyo Yakult Swallows (2011–present);
Career highlights and awards
	NPB Japan Series champion (2021); Interleague play CL Nippon Life Award Winner (2014); Central League MVP (2015); Central League Home Run Leader (2015); 3× Central League Stolen Base Leader (2015-2016, 2018); 6× Best Nine Award (2014-2016, 2018-2019, 2021); 7× NPB All-Star (2014–2016, 2018–2019, 2021, 2022); Tokyo 2020 Baseball Most Valuable Player (2021); Hochi Professional Sports Award (2015); Commissioner's Special Award (2016); 2× Central League Federation Special Awards (2015, 2018); 3× Tsubame City Annual Hero Award (2014-2016); Hit 4 home runs in one game on August 21, 2015 vs. Chunichi Dragons at (Meiji Jingu Stadium);
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing Japan
World Baseball Classic
Summer Olympics
WBSC Premier12

Tetsuto Yamada (山田哲人, Yamada Tetsuto, born July 16, 1992) is a Japanese professional baseball infielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Yamada made his NPB debut in 2012 with Yakult, and has played with them for his whole career. He has won the Central League MVP award, has received the Best Nine Award six times, has been selected to six NPB All-Star Series appearances, and has a Japan Series championship. He has led the Central League in stolen bases three times and home runs once, hitting 30 home runs and stealing 30 bases in a single season on four occasions. In 2014 he broke the single season record for most hits by a Japanese right-hander in the NPB, and in 2015 became the first player in NPB history to lead his league in home runs and stolen bases in the same season. He has been compared to Mike Trout for his combination of power and speed.^[4]

Yamada has also played for the Japanese national team Samurai Japan. In 2014 and 2018, he won the MLB Japan All-Star Series with them. He has played for Japan in the WBSC Premier12 tournaments of 2015 and 2019, and was on the Japanese team during the 2017 World Baseball Classic. In 2021, he was selected to the host nation's team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he won both the gold medal and the MVP award.

^ "2014ファン感謝Ｄａｙ③（燕市年間ヒーロー賞）: 燕市長鈴木力の日記".
^ "2015ファン感謝Day④（燕市表彰）: 燕市長鈴木力の日記".
^ "ファン感謝Dayレポート②（年間ヒーロー賞編）: 燕市長鈴木力の日記".
^ "Nippon Professional Baseball: 10 players to watch in Japan, including some potential future MLB aces". CBSSports.com. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-28.

[1] "2014ファン感謝Ｄａｙ③（燕市年間ヒーロー賞）: 燕市長鈴木力の日記".

[2] "2015ファン感謝Day④（燕市表彰）: 燕市長鈴木力の日記".

[3] "ファン感謝Dayレポート②（年間ヒーロー賞編）: 燕市長鈴木力の日記".

[4] "Nippon Professional Baseball: 10 players to watch in Japan, including some potential future MLB aces". CBSSports.com. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-28.

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