Daiki Asama

1.1. Childhood and Youth Baseball

Asama began playing softball with the Ichigaya Cheetahs in Shinjuku, Tokyo, in his first year of Ushigome Nakano Elementary School, initially playing as a pitcher. In 2008, during his sixth year of elementary school, he participated in the NPB 12-team Junior Tournament as a member of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows junior team. While attending Ushigome Daiichi Junior High School in Shinjuku, he served as a student council president. In baseball, he played both pitcher and outfielder for the Shinjuku Seniors team, reaching the quarterfinals of the Senior League National Tournament in his third year. That summer, he represented Japan at the 15th AA World Youth Baseball Championship in Mexico, alongside players like Shota Tatsuta.

1.2. High School Career

Asama enrolled at Yokohama High School, gaining a spot on the varsity team in his first spring. In his first official game as the lead-off hitter during the fourth round of the summer National High School Baseball Championship Kanagawa Tournament, he hit his first home run. In the fifth round, he and his classmate, cleanup hitter Yujin Takahama, both hit home run, forming what was known as the "AT Battery" at the core of the lineup. In the summer of 2013, as a second-year student, he hit a decisive two-run home run against Tomoki Matsui of Kiryugakuen High School in the semifinals of the Kanagawa Tournament. Yokohama High won the Kanagawa Tournament and advanced to the 95th National High School Baseball Championship, entering from the second round. Although they were eliminated in the third round, Asama started both games as the third batter and center fielder, achieving an impressive batting average of .714 (5 hits in 7 at-bats) with 2 RBIs.

In 2014, his third year, he participated in the spring 86th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament, where Yokohama High was defeated in the first round by Hachinohe Gakuin Kosei. Asama started as the lead-off hitter and center fielder, recording 2 hits in 3 at-bats. In the summer Kanagawa Tournament, aiming for a third consecutive appearance in the national championship, his team lost to Tokai University Sagami in the semifinals. Following the tournament in September, he represented Japan at the 10th 18U Asia Baseball Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, where he hit a go-ahead RBI double against the Taiwanese national team in the semifinals. During his high school career, he recorded a total of 31 home runs in external games. Notable alumni and teammates from Yokohama High include his seniors Keigo Tahara, Yūya Yanagi, and Ryunosuke Higuchi, his classmates Yoshiaki Watanabe and Masashi Ito (besides Takahama), and his juniors Shōma Fujihira and Tatsuya Ishikawa.

1.3. Professional Draft and Entry

On October 23, 2014, during the 2014 NPB Draft, Daiki Asama was selected in the third round by the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He signed a contract with an estimated signing bonus of 45.00 M JPY and an annual salary of 5.40 M JPY. He was assigned jersey number 26. His high school teammate, Yujin Takahama, was also drafted by the Nippon-Ham Fighters in the seventh round, allowing them to continue playing together as teammates.

2.1. Early Career (2015-2017)

In 2015, Asama and Takahama were notably selected for the spring camp's inter-squad game. Although Asama started the regular season in the minor leagues, he showed exceptional performance in the Eastern League by late April, recording a batting average of .328 (41 hits in 125 at-bats), 2 home runs, 20 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases in 29 games. This made him the first rookie in league history to receive the monthly MVP award for March and April. On May 5, he made his NPB first-team debut as the number 2 hitter and center fielder against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Sapporo Dome, filling in for the injured regular center fielder Dai-Kang Yang. In this game, he recorded his first professional hit and stolen base. The following day, in the same series, he recorded a stolen base and his first RBI with a timely double. He continued his hitting streak with singles in subsequent games against the Orix Buffaloes on May 8 and 9. After the introduction of the NPB draft in 1966, Asama became only the second high school player, following Shogo Akada of the Saitama Seibu Lions in 1999, to record a stolen base in consecutive games and a hit in four consecutive games from his first-team debut in the regular season. (This consecutive hit record was later surpassed by Kotaro Kiyomiya, who joined the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2018.) He was scheduled to play in the "Samurai Japan University National Team vs. NPB Select Team" game on June 29 at Meiji Jingu Stadium, but due to team circumstances, his teammate Ryosuke Kishizato played in his stead. On September 23, in a game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Sapporo Dome, Asama hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the 11th inning to break a tie. This was a historic achievement as the first walk-off hit by a high school rookie in Nippon-Ham Fighters franchise history. For the entire regular season, he appeared in 46 first-team games, batting .285 with 10 RBIs, 4 stolen bases, and a .307 on-base percentage. In the Eastern League, he played in 65 games, hitting .300 (78 hits in 260 at-bats) with 7 home runs, earning him the Outstanding Player Award. When the team advanced to the 2015 Pacific League Climax Series as the second-place finisher, Asama started Game 1 of the First Stage against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Sapporo Dome as the number 7 hitter and right fielder. He was the first high school rookie to start a Pacific League Climax Series game.

In 2016, Asama suddenly developed lower back pain during spring training in February. He was later diagnosed with lumbar spondylolysis, pushing back his return to the first team until April 30. On May 3, in a game against the SoftBank Hawks at Sapporo Dome, he was inserted into the starting lineup as the lead-off hitter and center fielder and hit his first professional home run in his first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. He became the 31st Japanese player in NPB history to hit a lead-off home run as their first professional home run, and the third for the Nippon-Ham Fighters since Keiyu Suzuki in 1989. At 19 years old, he set a new team record for the youngest player to achieve this feat. For the season, he played in 52 first-team games, exceeding his previous year's total, but recorded only one home run, batting .191 with 9 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, and a .219 on-base percentage.

In 2017, Asama's persistent lower back pain recurred, limiting him to just 19 first-team games, where he batted a low .167 with 3 RBIs and 1 stolen base, and a .205 on-base percentage. After the season, on November 1, he underwent endoscopic surgery for a herniated disc.

2.2. Injury and Rehabilitation Period (2018-2020)

In 2018, priority was given to the rehabilitation of his back from the previous year's surgery, delaying his return to the first team until July 29, in the middle of the regular season. After rejoining, he played in 31 first-team games, batting .239 with 3 home runs, 7 RBIs, 1 stolen base, and a .323 on-base percentage. He frequently started as the lead-off hitter and right fielder in the latter half of the season. To increase his playing opportunities, he began practicing at third base for the first time in his baseball career during the autumn camp.

In 2019, with the departure of the previous regular third baseman, Brandon Laird, Asama, though registered as an outfielder, was surprisingly named the starting third baseman and lead-off hitter for the first-team's regular season opener. However, on April 19, during an Eastern League game against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, he suffered a right shin bone contusion after hitting a foul ball off his own leg. This injury kept him out of action for four and a half months. He returned on September 7, but on September 12, during an outfield play in a game against Rakuten at Tokyo Dome, he experienced an abnormality in his right elbow. A diagnosis revealed a torn pronator muscle in his right elbow, forcing him to be sidelined again. He appeared in only 13 first-team games, batting a low .207 with 1 RBI and a .233 on-base percentage. After the season, during contract negotiations, he expressed his intention to focus solely on playing as an outfielder again.

In 2020, in January, while working on strengthening his dynamic vision, Asama fractured his left third metacarpal bone. This was his first major injury since joining the team, with a recovery period of four weeks. He was able to resume batting practice in mid-March during the open season, but his return to the first team was delayed until mid-August, in the middle of the regular season. Although his batting average declined to .190 in first-team games, the team recognized his performance, having played in 42 games as an outfielder, exceeding his previous year's appearances. He renegotiated his contract with an estimated annual salary of 11.50 M JPY, an increase of 1.00 M JPY from the previous year.

2.3. Recent Seasons (2021-2024)

In 2021, in a significant turnaround from the previous year, Asama started spring training with the first team. He modified his batting stance, positioning his bat slightly flatter. His strong performance in the open season, coupled with manager Hideki Kuriyama's policy of rotating five "regular-class" outfielders (including Asama), led him to make the opening day roster for the first time in two years since 2019. However, in late April, more than 10 players, coaches, and staff members accompanying the first team tested positive for COVID-19. Asama, due to potential close contact with infected individuals, was temporarily removed from the roster on April 30, in accordance with NPB's special measures for preventing infection spread in 2021. After testing negative in PCR tests, he was re-registered on May 14. On June 8, in a game against the Hanshin Tigers at Sapporo Dome, he entered the game in the bottom of the first as a pinch-hitter for Ryota Isofata, who had started as the lead-off hitter and center fielder but suffered an injury. Asama then played center field from the top of the second inning and recorded his first professional game with four hits (four consecutive hits from his first at-bat). That year, he reached the qualifying plate appearances for the first time in his career.

In 2022, Asama tested positive for COVID-19 on January 28 via PCR test. He joined the farm team's camp on February 6 and even played second base during open season games. After the season started, he was deployed at first base for the first time on April 29. Throughout the season, he competed for a regular outfield spot with players like Yuma Imagawa and Chusei Mannami. On July 28, he again tested positive for COVID-19 via PCR test and, despite being asymptomatic, had to undergo isolation. Although he was expected to return in August, on September 1, the Nippon-Ham Fighters announced that Asama had been diagnosed with a right ankle bone spur fracture and traumatic synovitis. He underwent surgery in a Tokyo hospital to remove a free body and resect the synovium in his right ankle. He was projected to be out for three months, effectively ending his season. In the off-season, on December 21, it was announced that he would change his jersey number from 26 to 8 starting the following year, inheriting it from Kensuke Kondo, his senior from Yokohama High School, who had transferred to SoftBank via free agency that off-season.

In 2023, Asama suffered a left foot fracture before the season, returning to live action in late May. He was first called up to the first team on June 30 and hit a go-ahead two-run double in a game against the Orix Buffaloes on July 2. He performed well with hits in three consecutive games upon his return to the first team, but his appearances were limited to 13 games, and he was removed from the roster on July 28. In the off-season, his contract was renewed at an estimated salary of 25.00 M JPY, a decrease of 3.00 M JPY.

In 2024, Asama showed strong form during open season games, but suffered a right wrist injury just before the start of the regular season on March 16, forcing him to be sidelined. Despite the delayed start, he was promoted to the first team on June 26, replacing Go Matsumoto, who was sidelined due to gastroenteritis. On July 12, in a game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, he hit his first solo home run of the season, which was his first home run in two years. On July 31, in a game against the Orix Buffaloes, he successfully executed a two-run squeeze play in the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on second and third, resulting in both runners scoring. He remained with the first team from his first call-up in June until the end of the season, playing in 49 games, batting .275 with 1 home run, 11 RBIs, and 4 stolen bases. In the home Climax Series, he started all games in the First Stage against the Chiba Lotte Marines. After losing the first game, he hit a walk-off RBI single off Takuichi Sawamura in the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs and runners on first and third, securing a dramatic victory in Game 2.

5.1. Career Statistics

Below are Daiki Asama's annual batting and fielding statistics in Nippon Professional Baseball.

• Statistics as of the end of the 2024 season.

; Outfield Fielding

; Infield Fielding

• Statistics as of the end of the 2024 season.
• Bolded values indicate the league's best for that season.

5.2. Major Records and Achievements

• Firsts:**
  • First appearance and first start: May 5, 2015, vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Game 8, Sapporo Dome), started as 2nd batter and center fielder.
  • First at-bat: Same as above, struck out swinging against Manabu Mima in the 1st inning.
  • First hit: Same as above, single to center field against Manabu Mima in the 4th inning.
  • First stolen base: Same as above, stole second in the 5th inning (pitcher: Manabu Mima, catcher: Motohiro Shima).
  • First RBI: May 6, 2015, vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Game 9, Sapporo Dome), hit an RBI double down the right field line against Yasunori Kikuchi in the 5th inning.
  • First home run: May 3, 2016, vs. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Game 6, Sapporo Dome), hit a lead-off home run to left field against Rick VandenHurk in the 1st inning.
  • Rookie Records (High School Drafted):**
    • Stolen bases in two consecutive games from first appearance: Second player in history, first in franchise history.
    • Hits in four consecutive games from first appearance: Second player in history, first in franchise history.
    • Walk-off hit at 19 years and 3 months old: Second player in history (tied for youngest), first in franchise history.
    • Starting appearance in the Climax Series: Second player in history, first in Pacific League history, first in franchise history.
    • Other Records:**
      • First professional home run being a lead-off home run: 31st player in history, 3rd player in history to achieve it in their teens.
      • First time achieving 4 hits in a single game (from the first at-bat): June 8, 2021, vs. Hanshin Tigers (Sapporo Dome).

5.3. Jersey Numbers and Walk-up Songs

• Jersey Numbers:**

• Walk-up Songs:**