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Masato Morishita

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Masato Morishita
Hiroshima Toyo Carp – No. 18
Pitcher
Born: (1997-08-25) August 25, 1997 (age 27)
Ōita, Ōita, Japan
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
NPB debut
June 21, 2020, for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp
NPB statistics
(through June 25, 2024)
Win–loss record43–27
Earned run average2.69
Strikeouts528
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Japan
Summer Olympics
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo Team
U-18 Baseball World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2015 Osaka Team

Masato Morishita (森下 暢仁, Morishita Masato, born August 25, 1997 in Ōita, Ōita, Japan) is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays pitcher for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.[1][2]

Early Baseball Career

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He started playing little league baseball in 3rd grade for Meijikita Elementary School.[3] He continued to play for Daito Junior High where they made it all the way to national tournaments in his 3rd year.

Thinking of playing more baseball just for fun, he and most of his teammates entered Oita Commercial High School.[4] He doubled as a pitcher and 3rd baseman/shortstop and had a friendly rivalry with Hikaru Kawase (Softbank player) for those positions.[5] While they made it to the Koshien nationals in his first year, he didn't get any play time during those matches, and his school never made past the prefectural tournaments in the succeeding years.[6] Nevertheless, he was selected to play for the national team for the 2015 U-18 Baseball World Cup where Japan finished second.

He then joined Meiji University where he became a regular in the lineup as they played in Tokyo Big Six tournaments. He became the ace pitcher and helped his team win the 2019 National Collegiate Baseball Championship. He was also selected to play for Samurai Japan in the Baseball at the 2017 Summer Universiade where Japan finished first, the 2018 Haarlem Baseball Week, and the yearly USA vs Japan Collegiate All-Star Series.[7] He finished college with a 2.78 ERA, and a 13–9 record in 35 league appearances.[8]

Hiroshima Tōyō Carp

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He was the Hiroshima Carp's pick in the first round of the 2019 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.[9] He signed a 100 million yen contract with them plus a 50 million yen signing bonus, for an estimated annual salary of 16 million yen.[10] He was assigned the jersey no. 18.[11]

2020

His performance during the pre-season games earned him a spot in the starting rotation, and he debuted on the opening card against the Baystars on June 21, the team's third match in a pandemic-shortened season.[12] Despite pitching 7 scoreless innings, he didn't earn the win as the opponent scored against the relievers who took over. He went the distance and notched his first win on his next outing on June 28, where he almost pitched a complete shutout against the Dragons until he gave away 3 runs on the 9th inning.[4] On August 14, he almost singlehandedly pitched a perfect game against the Tigers with only 2 hits allowed in 9 innings, no walks and 12 KOs.[13] He notched his 10th win on November 1, a feat last achieved by a rookie Carp pitcher in 2014 (Daichi Osera).[14]

He finished 10–3 out of 18 outings, topped the team in winning percentage (0.769), and second ERA in league with 1.91 and 3rd in strikeouts with 124.[15] He is the first CL starter rookie to record an ERA under 2 since Yusuke Nomura in 2012, and the first one in 54 years to record double digit wins with an ERA under 2 since Giants pitcher Tsuneo Horiuchi in 1966.[14][16] Post-season, he received a 27 million raise which brought his annual salary to 43 million yen.[14] On December 17, he won the CL rookie of the year award, the first Carp rookie to do so since Daichi Osera in 2014.[17]

Morishita was named an NPB All-Star for the second time in his career in 2022.[citation needed]

National Team

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On July 31, 2021, Morishita debuted with Samurai Japan's top team during the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan.[18] He was the starting pitcher for the Opening Round match of Group A against Mexico.[19] He pitched 5 innings (68 pitches total), allowing 5 hits, 2 earned runs and struck out 3. Japan won the match 7–4 and Morishita made quite an impression on the opposing team.

Gold Medal Match

After his good initial performance in the olympic tournament, Morishita was trusted by manager Atsunori Inaba to start the Gold Medal Match against the United States of America on August 7, 2021.[20] He went 5 innings again (81 pitches total), allowing 3 hits but no run and striking out 5. Japan won the match 2–0 and Morishita won an Olympic gold medal, the first in Samurai Japan history,[21] along with his teammates.

References

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  1. ^ 一般社団法人日本野球機構. "Register : Morishita, Masato (Hiroshima Toyo Carp)". Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  2. ^ "広島東洋カープ公式サイト". Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  3. ^ "広島、大学No.1右腕の明大・森下を一本釣り/ドラフト". Sankei Sports. 2019-10-17.
  4. ^ a b "【広島】ドラ１森下暢仁、プロ初勝利 あと２人で初完封、あと１人で初完投を逃したけど…今季両リーグ最多１３６球の熱投". Sports Hochi. 2020-06-29. Archived from the original on 2020-06-29. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  5. ^ 岡本朋祐 (2015-11-17). "2015ドラフト指名選手クローズアップ ソフトバンク6位・川瀬晃 スカウト評価は"川崎二世"". Weekly Baseball Online. Baseball Magazine Co.
  6. ^ "第97回全国高校野球選手権大分大会 決勝(2015年7月27日 別大興産スタジアム)（決勝） 明豊 1–0 大分商". 朝日新聞デジタル バーチャル高校野球. 朝日新聞社. 2015-07-27.
  7. ^ "2018年 第29回 ハーレムベースボールウィーク". Samurai Japan Official website. Retrieved 2019-11-27.
  8. ^ 片岡 泰彦 (2019-07-17). "日本初の2年連続開幕戦勝利 森下暢仁、5回毎回9K0封". Sports Hochi.
  9. ^ "大分商高出身の森下が広島1位 プロ野球ドラフト". Oita Press. 2019-10-18.
  10. ^ "広島1位 明大・森下 背番18内定！歩むエース街道「結果を出して恩返ししたい」". Sports Nippon. 2019-11-08.
  11. ^ "2020年度 支配下選手登録（広島東洋カープ）". NPB Official Website. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  12. ^ "【広島】初登板初先発初勝利がスルリ 好投の森下暢仁「自分が９回に投げてもこのようになっていたかも」". Sports Hochi. 2020-06-21. Archived from the original on 2020-06-29.
  13. ^ "広島佐々岡監督「言うことなし」初完封の森下絶賛". Nikkan Sports. 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  14. ^ a b c "森下は2700万円増！広島新人史上最大の増額". Nikkan Sports. 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  15. ^ "2020年度 広島東洋カープ 個人投手成績". NPB Official Webpage. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  16. ^ "広島・森下、新人で防御率１点台 セでは２０１２年の野村祐輔以来". SANSPO.COM. 2020-11-11. Retrieved 2020-12-11.
  17. ^ "広島森下がセ新人王、大瀬良以来の球団10人目快挙". Nikkan Sports. 2020-12-17. Retrieved 2020-12-23.
  18. ^ "For Samurai Japan, young pitchers leading the way at Tokyo Olympics". Japan Times. 2021-08-01. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  19. ^ "Baseball/Softball – Japan vs Mexico – Opening Round Group A Results". Olympics. 2021-07-31. Archived from the original on 2021-08-08. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  20. ^ "Baseball/Softball – United States vs Japan – Gold Medal Game Results". Olympics. 2021-08-07. Archived from the original on 2021-08-16. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
  21. ^ "At long last, Japan wins gold in Olympic baseball". Japan Times. 2021-08-07. Retrieved 2021-08-07.
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