Ryūku Tsuchida

Ryūku
龍空
Chunichi Dragons – No. 45
Infielder
Born: (2002-12-30) December 30, 2002 (age 21)
Maibara, Shiga, Japan
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
NPB debut
4 September 2021, for the Chunichi Dragons
NPB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.215
Hits105
Homeruns1
RBIs32
Teams

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.

Early career

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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

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  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "15期生土田龍空ドラフト指名". Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  3. ^ "「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.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ [email protected] (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.
  6. ^ "【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.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "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.
  13. ^ "【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.
  14. ^ "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.