is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Moder ...

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns pla ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

for the

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. Founded on February 22, 1938, as the Nankai Club, being the first Kansai t ...

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB). He is the

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...

holder with a record of 13 consecutive games with

stolen base In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a runner advances to a base unaided by other actions and the official scorer rules that the advance should be credited to the action of the runner. The umpires determine whether the runner is safe or out ...

Early baseball career

Shuto participated three times in the Japan National Collegiate Baseball Championship and once in the Meiji Shrine Baseball Championship while studying at the Tokyo University of Agriculture Hokkaido Okhotsk. In 2017, he was selected

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

in the Hokkaido Universities Baseball League.

Professional career

On October 26, 2017, Shuto was drafted as a developmental player by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the

2017 Nippon Professional Baseball draft The 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Draft was held on October 26, , for the 53rd time at the Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa to assign amateur baseball players to the NPB. It was arranged with the special cooperation of Taisho Pharmaceutic ...

. In 2018 season, he played in informal matches against the Shikoku Island League Plus's teams and amateur baseball teams, and played in the Western League of NPB's second leagues. On October 3, despite being a developmental player, he was selected as the

Japan national baseball team The , also known as , is the national team representing Japan in international baseball competitions. It won the World Baseball Classic in 2006, 2009, and 2023 as well as WBSC Premier12 in 2019. The team is currently ranked 1st in the world by t ...

for the

2018 U-23 Baseball World Cup The 2018 U-23 Baseball World Cup, officially II U-23 Baseball World Cup, is the second edition of the U-23 Baseball World Cup tournament, third since the tournament's inception in 2014 as the 21U Baseball World Cup. The tournament was held at Edg ...

because of his speed and defense. On March 26, 2019, Shuto signed a 6 million yen contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as a registered player under control. In the 2019 season, he played mainly as a defensive player and a

pinch runner In baseball or softball, a pinch runner is a player substituted into a game for the purpose of base running. Description A pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been s ...

and recorded 25

s while being caught five times while batting .196/.212/.294 in 102 at bats. On October 30, 2020, Shuto achieved 13 games consecutive stolen bases, breaking the NPB record for Yutaka Fukumoto's 11 games consecutive stolen bases in 1974 and the

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

record for 12 games consecutive stolen bases for

Bert Campaneris Dagoberto Campaneris Blanco (born March 9, 1942), nicknamed "Bert" or "Campy", is a Cuban Americans, Cuban American former professional baseball shortstop, who played Major League Baseball (MLB) for four American League (AL) teams, primarily the ...

in 1969. In 2020 season, Shuto won the Pacific League stolen bases leader award with a record of 50 stolen bases, and hitting .270/.325/.352 in 307 at bats, with a one home run, a 27 RBIs. In the

2020 Japan Series The 2020 Japan Series (known as the ''SMBC Nippon Series 2020'' for sponsorship reasons) was the championship series of Nippon Professional Baseball's (NPB) 2020 season. The 71st edition of the Japan Series, it was played from November 21 to 25. ...

against the

Yomiuri Giants The are a Japanese professional baseball team competing in Nippon Professional Baseball's Central League. Based in Bunkyo, Tokyo, they are one of two professional baseball teams based in Tokyo, the other being the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. They h ...

, Shuto contributed to the team's fourth consecutive Japan Series championship with one hit, one stolen base and good defense. December 17, Shuto was honored for the Pacific League Stolen bases Leader Award and NPB Commissioner's Special Award at the NPB AWARD 2020. In the 2021 season, he had played in the season opener, but on June 10 he broke the index finger of his right hand and was dropped from the first team registration. He also underwent surgery on his right shoulder on September 10, the team announced. Because of this, he only played in 70 games, finishing the season with a .201 batting average, three home runs, five runs batted in, and 21 stolen bases. On June 7, 2022, Shuto recorded a total of 100 stolen bases in the

interleague play Interleague play in Major League Baseball refers to regular-season baseball games played between an American League (AL) team and a National League (NL) team. Interleague play was first introduced during the 1997 Major League Baseball season. ...

against the

Hanshin Tigers The are a Nippon Professional Baseball team playing in the Central League. The team is based in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, next to their main stadium, Hanshin Koshien Stadium. The Tigers are owned by Hanshin Electric Railway Co., ...

. He also hit his first

walk-off home run In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. For a home run to end the game, it must be hit in the bottom of the final inning and generate enough runs to exceed the opponent's score. Because the opponent will not have an opp ...

on June 18 against the

Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles The , often shortened as the , are a baseball team based in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It has played in Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League since the team's formation in November 2004. The team is owned by the Internet shopping ...

and his first lead-off home run on August 4 against the

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters The are a Japanese professional Baseball in Japan, baseball team based in Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido, Kitahiroshima, Hokkaidō, in the Sapporo metropolitan area. They compete in the Pacific League of Nippon Professional Baseball, playing the major ...

. In 2022 season, he finished the regular season with a .267 batting average, five home runs, a 15 RBI, and a 22 stolen bases in 80 games. On April 11, 2023, Shuto recorded a three stolen bases in a game against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He also recorded a total of 150 stolen bases in the against the Orix Buffaloes on September 23, 2023. Shuto played 114 games, and finished the season with a .241 batting average, a 2 home runs, a 36 stolen bases, and a 17 RBIs. His 36 stolen bases are tied with Hiroto Kobukata for the top record in the Pacific League, and he was honored with the Pacific League Stolen bases Leader Award at NPB AWARD 2023 for the first time since the 2020 season.

International career

On October 3, 2018, despite being a developmental player, he was selected as the

for the

because of his speed and defense. On October 1, 2019, unusual case, Shuto was evaluated for base-running technique as a pinch runner and was selected as the Japan national baseball top team for the 2019 WBSC Premier12 tournament. He led the tournament with four stolen bases. Shuto was called up to the Japan national baseball team for the Samurai Japan Series 2022 and recorded a stolen base against the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

on November 10, 2022. Shuto joined Samurai Japan for the

2023 World Baseball Classic The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) was an international professional baseball tournament and the fifth iteration of the World Baseball Classic. It began on March 8, 2023, and ran until March 21. It was originally scheduled to take place in ...

, where he is remembered for scoring the winning run on a walk off double by

Munetaka Murakami is a Japanese professional baseball infielder for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Amateur career Munetaka started playing baseball at five years of age. He entered Kyushū Gakuin Integrated High School where he ...

in the semifinals against

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. He was pinch running for

Masataka Yoshida Masataka Yoshida (吉田正尚 ''Yoshida Masataka'', born July 15, 1993) nicknamed Macho Man, is a Japanese people, Japanese professional baseball designated hitter and left fielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He star ...

, who drew a walk the previous at-bat. He ran from first to home in 10.28 seconds, maxing at 30.4 feet per second.

References

External links

Career statistics - NPB.jp

- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Shuto, Ukyo 1996 births Living people Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks players Japanese expatriate baseball players in Puerto Rico Nippon Professional Baseball infielders Tokyo University of Agriculture alumni Baseball people from Gunma Prefecture 2019 WBSC Premier12 players 2023 World Baseball Classic players Gigantes de Carolina (baseball) players World Baseball Classic players of Japan