Ryūku Tsuchida (土田龍空, Tsuchida Ryūku, born December 30, 2002) also known just as Ryūku is a professional Japanese baseball player. He is currently an infielder for the Chunichi Dragons.
| Ryūku 龍空 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chunichi Dragons – No. 45 | |
| Infielder | |
| Born: December 30, 2002 Maibara, Shiga, Japan | |
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |
| NPB debut | |
| 4 September 2021, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| NPB statistics (through 2023 season) | |
| Batting average | .215 |
| Hits | 105 |
| Homeruns | 1 |
| RBIs | 32 |
| Teams | |
| |
Early career edit
Ryūku started playing baseball with in second grade.[1] While at Maibara Municipal Middle School, he played for Kohoku Boys.[2]
Ryūku was a first-team regular at short-stop as a freshman for Ōmi High School and played in the 100th anniversary koshien tournament in 2018 where he lost to a Kosei Yoshida led Kanaashi Agricultural High School.[3] In summer of his sophomore year, he would once again get playing time at koshien. In the first game, Ryūku was responsible for 2 errors leading to a loss to Tokai University Sagami High School.[4] In the fall, he helped his team win the Shiga Prefectural Tournament and in the first game of the Kinki Regional tournament, contributed with a 3-hit game. In his senior year, Ryūku was installed as Ōmi's captain,[5] and during the August training session for high schoolers trying to turn pro, he would hit a line-drive off future team-mate, Tsubasa Kato. [6]
At the 2020 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, Ryūku was selected in the 3rd round by the Chunichi Dragons.[7] On 22 November he signed a ¥6,000,000 per-year deal with a ¥45,000,000 sign-on bonus.[8]
Play style edit
Ryūku is said to have a prodigious batting sense with strong defensive skills.[9]
In his high school career, he hit 30 homeruns[8] with a batting average over .400.[10] He can run 50 metres in 6 seconds.[11]
Personal life edit
Ryūku thinks Shohei Ohtani is the ideal player and upon being drafted, mentioned his reverence for then team-mate Yota Kyoda. He also said that he would most like to fac Yomiuri Giants pitcher Kai Yokogawa as they had faced each other during their middle-school days.[12]
It is said that he gets along well with Yota Kyoda even in private settings, and after Kyoda was traded he mentioned that "I do feel a bit lonely. I would like to do my best as a fellow short-stop to catch-up to him...or I would love to win a golden glove and overtake him."[13] [14]
In junior high, Ryūku was in the athletics club and has experience coming 6th in the Shiga prefectural tournament high jump competition.[10]
References edit
- ^ "近江高校一家で育った世代屈指の遊撃手 「ボールが友達」だった土田龍空の幼少期" (in Japanese). 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "15期生土田龍空ドラフト指名". Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "「プロで長く活躍したい」 中日３位指名・土田龍空選手が仮契約：中日新聞Web" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "滋賀大会5試合で無失策の近江に「甲子園の魔物」 6失策で自滅" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ aws-testing@vebuin.com (2020-06-26). "世代屈指の遊撃手・土田龍空（近江）。社会人の練習参加、意識改革で守備のレベルは急上昇【前編】" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "【合同練習会】近江・土田龍空が攻守に手応え「アピールできた」" (in Japanese). 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "中日、近江・土田龍空内野手を3位指名 プロ顔負けの華麗な守備 高校通算30発のパンチ力も - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 野球" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ a b "中日３位土田が仮契約、守備の高みへ立浪教室心待ち - プロ野球 : 日刊スポーツ" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ 須藤佳裕 (2022-10-17). "【球界ここだけの話（２８４０）】竜スカウトも驚く２年目遊撃手・土田龍空の急成長…〝一択〟京田の復権はなるか" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ a b "ドラフト中日3位の土田龍空「下積みして活躍したい」 高校屈指の遊撃手「華がある」と評価｜スポーツ｜地域のニュース｜京都新聞". 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "中日ドラ3・土田 目標は"1年間ノーエラー" 打倒・根尾&京田「追いついて追い越したい」 - スポニチ Sponichi Annex 野球" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "中日３位・17歳の土田龍空きっぱり 目標はメジャーリーガー "遊撃の大先輩"井端弘和氏も激励「いいですね」：中日スポーツ・東京中日スポーツ" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "【中日】土田龍空は700万円増「少しでも追いつけるように」憧れの先輩京田トレードに思い語る - プロ野球 : 日刊スポーツ" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "DeNA・京田「目標はゴールデン・グラブ賞。土田と競えたら」競争相手に"兄貴"と慕う土田龍空を指名：中日スポーツ・東京中日スポーツ" (in Japanese). Retrieved 2024-01-05.
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