Shun Yamaguchi is a professional baseball player. Shun Yamaguchi is the first Japanese to play for the Blue Jays at this time in MLB history. He worked for the Nippon Professional Baseball teams Yomiuri Giants and Yokohama BayStars/Yokohama DeNA BayStars (NPB).
Yamaguchi has been a prominent figure on the baseball diamond for more than ten years, and he has built an amazing resume.
He has so amassed a considerable mile because of his exceptional competitiveness and versatility.
Table of Contents
Childhood & Parents
Shun Yamaguchi was born on July 11, 1987, in Oita, Japan, to Keiko Yamaguchi and Yamaguchi Hisashi, with the solar sign of Cancer.
Yamaguchi hasn’t revealed much about his upbringing, but we may assume it was pleasant and memorable.
Yamaguchi’s father, Yamaguchi Hisashi (April 16, 1952 – October 19, 2010), actually competed in sumo wrestling.
He made his debut in January 1971 and won the championship in May 1978, to give more specifics.
Until he ultimately retired in November 1982, his father had attained maegashira 4 throughout his career.
Net Worth
Shun Yamaguchi’s net worth ranges from $500,000 to $1 million.
Along with a recent $6.35 million contract for just two years, he also earns an additional $3,175,000 on average annually.
Facts of Shun Yamaguchi
| Full Name | Shun Yamaguchi |
| Date of Birth | July 11, 1987 |
| Birth Place | Oita, Japan |
| Nick Name | Not Available |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Ethnicity | Asian |
| Zodiac Sign | Cancer |
| Age | 34 Years Old |
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch (1.87 m) |
| Weight | 90 kg (198 lbs) |
| Hair Color | Light Brown |
| Eye Color | Unknown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Father’s Name | Yamaguchi Hisashi |
| Mother’s Name | Keiko Yamaguchi |
| Siblings | None |
| Education | Yanagawa High School |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Kaori Takagi |
| Kids | A son and a daughter |
| Profession | Baseball player |
| Position | Pitcher |
| Affiliations | Yokohama BayStars/Yokohama DeNA BayStars Yomiuri Giants Toronto Blue Jays |
| Active Years | 2006-present |
| Net Worth | $500,000-$1 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch (Affiliations) | Yokohama DeNA BayStars, New Era Men’s Hat. |
| Last Update | June 2022 |
Career as a Hobby
Many people anticipated that Shun would enter the sumo wrestling ring in the same manner as his father.
However, Yamaguchi started playing baseball and devoted his attention as soon as he graduated from high school.
His sense of humor, which explains why he picked baseball over sumo wrestling, is what makes him interesting. At first, he was a standout pitcher for Yanagigaura High School, where his fastball could reach 94 mph.
He started his baseball career through the 2005 high school draft since he was interested in the sport.
Yamaguchi was selected by the Yokohama BayStars in the first round of that year’s Nippon Professional Baseball draft.
Professional Career
After being chosen for a year, Yamaguchi made his league debut in 2006.
He spent ten years with the Yokohama BayStars back then before joining the Yomiuri Giants in 2017.
Tokyo BayStars
Yamaguchi joined the organization as a rookie in 2007 and had a 6.30 ERA before being transferred to the bullpen in 2008.
After that, he served as the team’s closer for three years. During those times, he recorded 18 saves, a 3.27 ERA, and even finished sixth in the Central League in saves.
He was later included on the 2010 NPB All-Star Games roster. He had previously been third in saves behind Chang-Yong Lim and Hitoki Iwase.
In the interim, he won his second straight all-star award and surpassed Hiroaki Nakayama’s mark for the game’s final score.
He had to leave his position as a closer after several successful games. As a result, Jorge Sosa took over his closer responsibilities.
Yamaguchi was thus in the starting lineup before becoming a regular starter.
After a short while, in 2016, Yamaguchi had a strong start and tied Tomoyuki Sugano for the full games. He signed a free agency contract with the Yomiuri Giants the very next year.
Osaka Giants
Due to his shoulder issues, his debut season with the squad was short, with only four games remaining.
In addition to this, he was forced to serve a ban for attacking security games while intoxicated. The following year, he played through the entire season without getting hurt or getting into trouble.
Apparently, he produced a 2.91 ERA in 2019, which is considered to be his greatest season as a starter. In reality, he opened the 2019 Japan Series that year, and as a result, he made the Best Nine for the first time.
He finished the series overall after placing in second place in the Central League Most Valuable Player Award voting.
Yamaguchi finished the season having started three games in the 2019 Premier 12.
Yamaguchi declared that he would enter the Major League Baseball posting system following the 2019 WBSC Premier12 (MLB).
Yamaguchi became the first Giants player to be posted in the MLB as a result on December 3, 2019.
Toronto Blue Jays
Yamaguchi was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays on December 28, 2019, to a two-year, $6.35 million contract.
He now sports the team’s number one jersey as a result. On January 15, 2020, a press conference and a fan meeting were held in conjunction with his admission.
Yamaguchi, however, was unable to begin his game at that precise moment due to the pandemic’s onset.
He so left on March 26 and didn’t come back until the start of the regular season.
The same may be said about his MLB debut, which occurred on July 27, 2020. Moving forward, he won his first MLB game on August 26.
Yamaguchi currently holds a 2-4 record, an 8.06 ERA, 26 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched, and 17 games played for the squad overall.
Playing Style
Yamaguchi, one of Japan’s best pitchers, mostly uses his three best pitches: the fastball, the splitter, and the slider.
He is a right-handed pitcher who has 26 strikeouts, as is common knowledge. Yamaguchi throws and pitches everything at 90 mph (tops out at 95 mph).
Yamaguchi is an experienced player in the NPB, despite the fact that he has yet to make a name for himself in the MLB.
Personal Life
Shun Yamaguchi is married. He reportedly had a marriage to Kaori Takagi, a Japanese television actress. His wife, who served as the gravure idol, was born on July 23, 1985.
Furthermore, they exchanged vows on December 25, 2014, but Takagi didn’t publicly announce their marriage until March 14, 2015, on her official blog.
Later, on March 20, 2015, Takagi gave birth to their first child, a daughter, after just one week. On August 20, 2016, they received their son once more after only a year.
Height & Weight
Shun Yamaguchi stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.87 m) and weighs 90 kg (198 lbs).
Know about: 5 Best Tabletop Arcade Games, Top 10 Unbeatable World Records in Sports,
Controversy
Shun was expelled from the team in July 2017 as a result of an embarrassing event.
The footballer reportedly became very inebriated while celebrating his 30th birthday in a restaurant, according to the reports.
Evidently, they even threatened the security guy with an investigation since they believed he had harmed the restaurant’s doors and other belongings.
Following the receipt of the report, it was asserted that the security guard had physical wounds, including bruises on the lower back and chest.
Not to mention, it was mentioned that the sportsman had visited the hospital after getting a cut on his right hand at a restaurant. The cut was reportedly caused by shattered glass.
Following it, the athletes received criticism from the public and from the officials, who all urged the team to act.
He was ultimately abruptly and unexpectedly removed from a match against the Chunichi Dragons.
Pitcher Hayato Takagi took his spot as a result.
Social media handles
Her social media handle includes @shun.yamaguchi official on Instagram and @shunYamaguchi on Twitter.
