1. Early Life and Amateur Career
Nomura's baseball journey began at a young age, influenced by his family and significant baseball events. He balanced his academic pursuits with his passion for baseball, excelling at both junior high and high school levels before turning professional.
1.1. Childhood and Education
Nomura was born in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Japan. His father, a devoted fan of the Hanshin Tigers, frequently took him to games at Hanshin Koshien Stadium from a young age. A pivotal moment occurred at age five in 2006 when he witnessed the 88th National High School Baseball Championship final at Koshien, where Yuki Saito led Waseda Jitsugyo High School to their first championship. This experience later inspired Nomura to attend Waseda Jitsugyo.
He began playing soft baseball for Suehiro Rookies in his first year of elementary school. Adhering to his family's principle of "balancing academics and sports," he successfully pursued both, eventually entering Doshisha Junior High School. During his time there, he initially played for Hirakata Boys, becoming a regular, before transferring to Osaka Fukushima Seniors, where he served as a cleanup hitter and catcher. Among his teammates at Osaka Fukushima Seniors was Riku Masuda. In 2015, during his third year of junior high, Nomura was selected as part of the Baseball Japan National Team for the U-15 Asia Challenge Match held in Matsuyama Botchan Stadium. Although chosen as a catcher, he was utilized as the "5th batter, first baseman" during the tournament.
1.2. High School Baseball Career
After witnessing Kōtarō Kiyomiya's performance as the third batter for Waseda Jitsugyo High School in the 97th National High School Baseball Championship in 2015, Nomura decided to enroll there, driven by a strong desire to become the cleanup hitter for the school. Despite Doshisha Junior High being an integrated junior and senior high school, he opted to transfer.
Upon entering Waseda Jitsugyo, Nomura was immediately recognized for his talent. After the spring Tokyo tournament, he was selected as the fourth batter, replacing Kiyomiya, and played as a third baseman. He gained attention as part of the clean-up crew alongside Kiyomiya. In the autumn Tokyo tournament during his first year, he hit a decisive two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against Sakurai Shuto of Nihon University Third High School, securing a come-from-behind victory and a spot in the 89th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament the following year. He continued his success at the 47th Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament, recording five hits, one home run, and six RBI in three games, contributing to the team's runner-up finish in the high school division. In the subsequent Senbatsu tournament as a second-year student, he recorded five hits and two RBI in two games, demonstrating his clutch hitting ability on major stages. Due to team circumstances, he transitioned back to catcher from the Kanto Tournament in May, and occasionally pitched in exhibition games. In 2018, his third year, after Kiyomiya's graduation and entry into the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Nomura served as team captain and focused on hitting as the "3rd batter, third baseman." In the summer West Tokyo Championship, he hit two consecutive two-run home runs in the fourth round but his team ultimately lost to Hachioji Gakuen Hachioji High School. Throughout his high school career, he amassed a remarkable 68 home runs in external games.
1.3. Professional Transition and Draft
Nomura had initially considered attending Waseda University, which was part of his initial plan when he entered Waseda Jitsugyo. After his team's defeat in the summer West Tokyo Championship in his third year, he held nearly ten family meetings to discuss his future path. Following a similar trajectory to his senior Kiyomiya, Nomura submitted his professional application on his 18th birthday, September 10, 2018, signifying his decision to pursue a professional career earlier than initially planned.
On October 25, 2018, Nomura was selected by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the third round of the 2018 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He signed with the Hawks for a reported 50.00 M JPY signing bonus and an estimated annual salary of 6.00 M JPY. He was assigned uniform number 55, which he stated at his introductory press conference was chosen to evoke both Hideki Matsui's former uniform number and the total number of home runs hit by his high school senior, Sadaharu Oh, in the 1964 Central League season as an infielder for the Yomiuri Giants. His scouting was handled by Shogo Yamamoto.
2. Professional Career
Nomura's professional career began with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, where he developed his skills across various levels of the organization before being traded to the Saitama Seibu Lions.
2.1. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Nomura spent several seasons with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, progressing from the farm system to making significant contributions at the top level.
2.1.1. 2019-2021 Seasons
In 2019, Nomura started his spring training with the "B team," primarily playing for the third team throughout the regular season. In third-team games, he appeared in 79 games, batting .303 with three home runs and 41 RBI. He also played in 22 games in the Western League (second team), recording a batting average of .191. On September 28, he was promoted to the first team and made his NPB debut as a third baseman in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Orix Buffaloes at Osaka Dome. In his first at-bat in the ninth inning, he singled to right field off Yudai Aranishi, becoming the first Hawks high school rookie to record a hit in his debut at-bat since the team's establishment in 2005. He played in two total games for Fukuoka in 2019. From November 23, he participated in the 2019 Asia Winter Baseball League in Taiwan as a member of the NPB RED team, where he played 15 games, batting .292 with five RBI and an OPS of .744.
In the 2020 season, Nomura did not make any appearances in the Pacific League (first team). He played in 74 games in the Western League, maintaining a batting average of .263 with three home runs. In 2021, Nomura appeared in seven games for the Hawks' first team, hitting 3-for-17 (.177) with three RBI.
2.1.2. 2022 Season
For the 2022 season, Nomura's name on scoreboards and in media reports was changed to "Nomura Dai" due to the arrival of another player named Isami Nomura. The new manager, Hirofumi Fujimoto, had high expectations for him as a pinch-hitter, and Nomura started the season with the first team. However, he only made one pinch-hit appearance, striking out against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles on April 1, and was de-registered on April 7. He continued to play in the minor leagues until June 27, when a significant number of first-team players tested positive for COVID-19, leading to his second first-team call-up. In the game against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Tokyo Dome on the same day, he entered as a pinch-hitter for Yusuke Masago in the top of the eighth inning and recorded a hit. On July 2, in the next game against the Saitama Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome, he made his first start of the season as the "8th batter, first baseman." On July 13, in a game against the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome, he started as the "6th batter, first baseman" and delivered a two-run RBI single with the bases loaded in the first inning, contributing to ending the team's losing streak. In July, he started in 7 out of 13 games played, batting .231 with six hits and three RBI in 26 at-bats, notably having a .500 batting average with runners in scoring position. Although his playing time as a starter decreased in August, he returned to the starting lineup on August 20 for the first time in approximately four weeks against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Sapporo Dome due to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases within the team. From August 23, he started three consecutive games against the Rakuten Eagles at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi, accumulating six hits (including three doubles) and four RBI in 15 at-bats. Nomura, along with Kenta Tanigawara and Shu Masuda, became known as the "Chikugo Hawks" (a nickname given to younger reserve players, referencing Chikugo, Fukuoka, where the Hawks' farm team is located), who supported the team's difficult situation by combining for 20 hits and 16 runs in four games. He finished the regular season with a .229 batting average, .270 on-base percentage, and .329 slugging percentage, recording 16 hits and eight RBI in 31 games, marking a career-high in appearances.
2.1.3. 2023 Season
Nomura began the 2023 season with the second team. He was called up to the first team on May 5 and primarily appeared as a pinch-hitter, but his batting average of .238 led to his de-registration on July 4. He was briefly re-called as an alternate for Kenta Imamiya on July 10 but returned to the second team two days later without an appearance. On August 12, he was re-called to the first team, and on August 22, in a game against the Chiba Lotte Marines at ZOZO Marine Stadium, he hit his first professional career home run, a solo shot off Koshiro Sakamoto in the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter. He was de-registered again on August 28. On September 13, while playing as the "3rd batter, first baseman" for the Western League game against the Hanshin Tigers (farm) at Hanshin Naruo Hama Stadium, he was substituted in the third inning due to fever. After a day of rest, he joined the games against the Chunichi Dragons (farm) at Nagoya Baseball Stadium on September 15. Due to a series of illnesses among the first team's key position players, he rejoined the first team in Hokkaido for the Nippon-Ham Fighters series after the September 16 game. He was registered with the first team on September 17 and on September 20, in a game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi, he recorded his first professional stolen base in the fourth inning off battery Sei Fujii and Hikaru Ota. He remained with the first team through the postseason, where he appeared in the second game of the Climax Series First Stage on October 15 at ZOZO Marine Stadium, striking out as a pinch-hitter for Tatsuya Yanagimachi in the seventh inning. He concluded the season with 41 appearances, batting .216 with one home run and four RBI. In the offseason, he renewed his contract for an estimated 10.70 M JPY, an increase of 1.20 M JPY.
2.1.4. 2024 Season
Nomura started the 2024 season in the second team. He performed well in May, achieving a monthly batting average of .359 in second-team games, leading to his first first-team registration of the season on June 4. However, he made only two pinch-hit appearances in interleague games against the Chunichi Dragons on June 4 and 5, going hitless in both at-bats. He was de-registered on June 7 and remained with the second team thereafter.
2.2. Saitama Seibu Lions
On July 5, 2024, it was announced that Nomura had been traded to the Saitama Seibu Lions in exchange for pitcher Hiromasa Saito. He was assigned the uniform number 67. Due to the presence of Kazuki Nomura on the team, his scoreboard designation remained "Nomura Dai," and his nameplate on the back of his jersey displayed "D.NOMURA." On July 7, in a game against the Lotte Marines, he recorded his first RBI with his new team via a sacrifice fly. On July 9, in a game against the Nippon-Ham Fighters, he hit a ball to right-center field and reached second base, but was ruled out after an appeal play from Nippon-Ham, who claimed he missed first base; the play was officially recorded as a pitcher's groundout. The following day, July 10, in another game against the Nippon-Ham Fighters, he recorded his first official hit with the Lions off Shoma Kanemura. On July 20, in a game against his former team, the SoftBank Hawks, Nomura hit his first home run as a Lion.
3. Playing Style
Despite his relatively modest stature, Daiju Nomura is known for his formidable long-distance hitting prowess, having belted 68 home runs in his high school career. His playing style is characterized by a powerful full swing and a reputation for clutch performance in critical situations. Early in his high school career, he publicly set a high goal of achieving a "50% batting average per game." Upon joining the SoftBank Hawks, he further declared his professional ambition to win the "RBI King" title. In terms of athleticism, he has recorded a fastest 50-meter dash time of 6.3 seconds (manual timing) and, as a pitcher during his high school days, his fastball reached a maximum speed of 84 mph (135 km/h).
4. Personal Life
Beyond the baseball field, Daiju Nomura's life has been shaped by his family, his intellectual curiosity, and his early aspirations.
4.1. Name Origin and Personality
The name "Daiju" (大樹) holds a significant meaning, conveyed by his parents' wish for him to "grow like a big tree with deep roots in the ground." According to his mother, Nomura is the type of person who "works hard when there's a goal." This trait was evident during his upper elementary school years when he dedicated himself to studying, limiting baseball practice to weekends, which ultimately led to his successful admission to Doshisha Junior High School.
4.2. Interests and Influences
Influenced by his father's love for reading, Nomura immersed himself in detective novels during his elementary school days. His commute to Doshisha Junior High, which took two hours one way, became an opportunity for reading. He reportedly continued this habit during his time at Waseda Jitsugyo, reading "100 books a year." Upon moving into the Young Hawks Dormitory (the team's dormitory) after joining SoftBank, he brought with him "Meisho Sadaharu Oh: Winning 'Leader Thinking'" by Mitsuo Kodama.
From childhood, Nomura was a fan of the Hanshin Tigers, visiting Koshien Stadium approximately 30 times from his home until graduating from Doshisha Junior High. His decision to attend Waseda Jitsugyo in Tokyo was driven by a desire to play in a competitive environment that could lead to a national tournament appearance at Koshien, while also pursuing academic advancement with a view toward university. During his three years at Waseda Jitsugyo, he lived with his mother in Tokyo, while his father lived alone at their family home. Although Nomura initially envisioned playing in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League (which Waseda University is a part of) before entering NPB, he later decided to pursue professional baseball sooner, influenced by Kiyomiya's success, stating he "wanted to chase the dream of playing actively in NPB sooner," leading him to submit his professional application on his 18th birthday.
5. Detailed Information
This section provides a statistical overview and other relevant data regarding Daiju Nomura's professional baseball career.
5.1. Career Batting Statistics
| Year | Team | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | SB | CS | SH | SF | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | GDP | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | |
| 2021 | 7 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .176 | .263 | .235 | .498 | ||
| 2022 | 31 | 75 | 70 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 2 | .229 | .270 | .329 | .599 | ||
| 2023 | 41 | 83 | 74 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 5 | .216 | .253 | .284 | .537 | ||
| 2024 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | ||
| Saitama Seibu Lions | 57 | 204 | 178 | 15 | 40 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 73 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 44 | 6 | .225 | .305 | .410 | .716 | ||
| 2024 Total | 59 | 206 | 180 | 15 | 40 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 73 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 44 | 6 | .222 | .302 | .406 | .708 | ||
| Career Total (5 years) | 140 | 385 | 343 | 28 | 76 | 18 | 5 | 6 | 122 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 89 | 13 | .222 | .285 | .356 | .641 | ||
- Statistics current as of the end of the 2024 season.
5.2. Career Fielding Statistics
| Year | Team | First Base | Third Base | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | Putouts | Assists | Errors | Double Plays | Fielding % | G | Putouts | Assists | Errors | Double Plays | Fielding % | ||
| 2019 | Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks | - | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |||||
| 2021 | 6 | 38 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1.000 | - | ||||||
| 2022 | 14 | 109 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1.000 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
| 2023 | 14 | 74 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 1.000 | - | ||||||
| 2024 | Saitama Seibu Lions | 41 | 333 | 18 | 4 | 20 | .989 | - | |||||
| Career Total | 75 | 554 | 39 | 4 | 37 | .993 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
- Statistics current as of the end of the 2024 season.
5.3. Key Career Records
- First Appearance:** September 28, 2019, against the Orix Buffaloes (Kyocera Dome Osaka), entering as a third baseman in the 7th inning for Kenshi Akashi.
- First At-bat and First Hit:** Same game as above, in the 9th inning, a single to right field off Yudai Aranishi.
- First Start:** July 10, 2021, against the Orix Buffaloes (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), starting as the "7th batter, first baseman."
- First RBI:** July 11, 2021, against the Orix Buffaloes (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), a single to center field off Hiroya Miyagi in the 3rd inning.
- First Home Run:** August 22, 2023, against the Chiba Lotte Marines (ZOZO Marine Stadium), a solo home run to right field off Koshiro Sakamoto in the 8th inning.
- First Stolen Base:** September 20, 2023, against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi), stealing second base in the 4th inning off battery Sei Fujii and Hikaru Ota.
5.4. Uniform Numbers
- 55 (2019 - July 4, 2024)
- 67 (July 5, 2024 - present)
5.5. Entrance Themes
- "Hope" by Hugh Jackman (2019)
- "Sakuranbo" by Ai Otsuka (2019)
- "Hey Ma" by J Balvin & Pitbull (2020)
- "Kill this love" by Blackpink (2020-2021)
- "Boss Bitch" by Doja Cat (2021)
- "Divine Wind -KAMIKAZE-" by AK-69 (2022)
- "GDFR ft. Sage The Gemini and Lookas" by Flo Rida (2022)
- "Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas (2023 - present)
- "Mikata" by GReeeeN (2023 - present)
- "Oretachi no Ashita" by Elephant Kashimashi (2024 - present)