Eigoro Mogi

1.1. Amateur Career

Mogi started playing hardball baseball in the first grade at Koganei Municipal Fourth Elementary School, joining the Musashi Fuchu Little league. During his time at Koganei Municipal Minami Junior High School, he played for Musashi Fuchu Senior. His teammates included Nanki Takaki (one year his senior) and Toshitaka Yokoo and Tsuyoshi Sugano (same year), as well as Ryo Ishikawa (two years his junior).

He attended Toin Gakuen High School, where he became a regular player as the cleanup hitter and third baseman from the autumn of his first year. During this period, he hit a home run in the autumn Kanto tournament. In his second year, he recorded a batting average of .563 in the summer Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament, though his team was defeated in the quarterfinals by Yokohama High School, which featured players like Tomochika Otosaka and Kensuke Kondoh. In his third year, Mogi hit home runs against Toru Furumura of Chigasaki Nishihama High School in the fourth round and Akihiro Aoyagi of Kawasaki Koka High School in the fifth round. Toin Gakuen High School advanced to the semifinals after defeating Buso High School, led by Kazutomo Iguchi and Yasutaka Shiomi, in a 12-inning quarterfinal match. Despite Mogi hitting a home run that led to the removal of first-year pitcher Yuki Matsui, they narrowly lost 4-5 to Kirigakuen High School in the semifinals. Mogi did not participate in any national tournaments at Koshien Stadium during his high school career. Among his high school teammates were Akihiro Wakabayashi (same year), Sho Yamanobe (one year his junior), and Daisho Saito (two years his junior).

Mogi then enrolled at Waseda University, where he immediately began playing third base in the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League in his freshman spring. He earned a Best Nine selection with a batting average of .267 and 10 RBI, contributing to his team's spring championship. His strong performance continued into the 61st All-Japan University Baseball Championship, where he boasted a batting average of .357, helping Waseda secure the title. In his sophomore year, Mogi underwent surgery for arrhythmia. However, upon his full return to play in his junior spring league, he posted a batting average of .302. In the autumn league that year, he achieved an impressive batting average of .514, earning him the batting title.

In his senior spring league, Mogi continued his strong offensive performance with a batting average of .390, claiming the home run title (5 home runs) and RBI title (11 RBI). He was again selected for the Best Nine at third base, guiding his team to their first league championship in six seasons. At the 64th All-Japan University Baseball Championship, Mogi excelled with a batting average of .615, 2 home runs, and 8 RBI, winning both the batting title and the MVP award. He also set a new tournament record with 10 runs scored, contributing significantly to Waseda's championship victory after three years. While his performance dipped to a .200 batting average in the autumn league, he rebounded in the Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament, where Waseda secured a runner-up finish. During his university career, Mogi played in 79 league games, accumulating a batting average of .307 (85 hits in 277 at-bats), 10 home runs, 58 RBI, and 12 stolen bases. His Waseda University teammates included Shohei Sugiyama (three years his senior), Takaaki Yokoyama (two years his senior), Yuhei Takanashi, Kohhei Arihara, and Shogo Nakamura (one year his senior), and Shinnosuke Shigenobu (same year).

In July of his junior year (2014), Mogi was selected to represent Japan at the 27th Harlem Baseball Week. The following year, in June 2015, he was part of the Japanese national team for the 2015 Summer Universiade. Primarily batting fifth, he recorded an impressive batting average of .462, leading his team to a championship victory.

2.1. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (2016-2024)

Mogi's professional career began in 2016. On March 25, he made his NPB debut as the sixth batter and shortstop in the opening day game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Rakuten Kobo Stadium Miyagi, becoming the first rookie position player in Eagles history to start on opening day. On March 26, he recorded his first professional hit, a triple off Rick van den Hurk of the Hawks. Despite being primarily a third baseman, Mogi continued to start as a shortstop, addressing a team need. On April 20, he had a unique record of five strikeouts in a single game against the Orix Buffaloes, becoming the 15th player in NPB history and the seventh in the Pacific League to do so. On May 11, he hit his first professional home run, a three-run shot off Isamu Sato of the Saitama Seibu Lions. By late May, he was promoted to the third spot in the batting order. On June 26, during a game against the Hawks, Mogi suffered a laceration to his right hand after colliding with Yuichi Honda while fielding at second base. He was removed from the roster the following day, marking his first time on the injured list.

Mogi returned to the first team on August 4. On September 12, he hit two home runs against the Buffaloes, a first for a Rakuten rookie. On August 25, he recorded his second home run as a running home run against the Hawks at Fukuoka Dome, a feat he had not achieved since elementary school. This was the fourth running home home run in Eagles history and the first by an NPB rookie since Tomochika Tsuboi in 1998. On September 19, he hit his third home run of the season, also a running home run, against the Lions at Seibu Dome. This made him the first rookie player in the two-league era (since 1950) and the first player since Masahiro Kawai in 1992 to hit multiple running home runs in a single NPB season. Towards the end of the season, manager Masataka Nashida moved Mogi to the leadoff spot to increase his at-bats and boost his chances for the Rookie of the Year award, which ultimately went to Hirotoshi Takanashi of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. However, Mogi received a significant 116 votes (out of 255 total), second only to Takanashi's 131. He finished the season having played 117 games, with a batting average of .278 (second highest on the team, 14th in the league), and was the only rookie position player in the Pacific League to reach the qualifying at-bats. He also led the league with seven triples and hit seven home runs overall.

In 2017, Mogi was consistently the leadoff hitter and shortstop due to his high on-base percentage, significantly increasing his hits and home runs. On May 14, he hit his first career grand slam against the Hawks, which was his eighth home run of the season, already surpassing his previous year's total. On May 28, in the last Pacific League game before interleague play, Mogi hit his tenth home run of the season against Makoto Aiuchi of the Lions, making him the first homegrown Japanese position player in Eagles history to hit double-digit home runs in a season. His strong first-half performance earned him his first All-Star Game selection, leading the Pacific League shortstops in player voting. However, he withdrew from the All-Star Game due to a right elbow injury sustained on June 17 against the Hanshin Tigers. Due to NPB regulations regarding All-Star withdrawals, he was suspended for the first ten games of the second half of the season. He returned to the first team on July 30 as a designated hitter, as the team had acquired Luis Cruz from the Giants during his absence, and his elbow was still recovering. On August 9, he hit his 15th home run of the season, a leadoff, first-pitch home run off Kohhei Arihara of the Nippon-Ham Fighters, tying the Pacific League season record of three such home runs. From August 11, Mogi resumed playing shortstop after Cruz was removed from the roster. While he missed more games and had more designated hitter appearances in September, in the final regular-season game on October 10 against the Chiba Lotte Marines, he came close to achieving the first cycle for the cycle in Eagles history, recording a triple, double, and single (infield hit) in his first three at-bats, but his final hit, a potential home run, landed as an entitlement double. He finished the regular season with a batting average of .2964, ranking third in the league and highest on his team. In the Climax Series First Stage against the Lions, Mogi started as the leadoff hitter and shortstop. In Game 2 on October 15, he hit a first-pitch leadoff home run off Ken Togame, becoming only the third player in Climax Series history to do so. In Game 1 of the Final Stage against the Hawks on October 18, he hit another leadoff home run off Kodai Senga, making him the first player in Climax Series history to hit leadoff home runs in both the First and Final Stages, with both home runs leading to team victories. However, the Eagles failed to advance to the Japan Series, and Mogi underwent right elbow cleaning surgery on November 2.

In 2018, Mogi again started the regular season as the leadoff hitter and shortstop. However, due to a batting slump and the emergence of Kazuki Tanaka, Tanaka was fixed in the leadoff spot from May. Mogi primarily batted second thereafter. His batting average remained low, around .250, and he was removed from the roster in August after being hit by a pitch on his left calf. He then injured his left shoulder during his minor league rehabilitation, preventing his return to the first team for the rest of the season. Although he played in 100 games for the third consecutive year, he did not reach the qualified at-bats, and his batting average (.247) and RBI (24) were significantly lower than the previous year.

Mogi's recovery from his left shoulder injury was slower than expected in 2019, causing him to start spring training in the minor leagues. Despite this, he made the first-team roster for opening day. After Kazuki Tanaka's injury in mid-May, Mogi consistently played as the leadoff hitter for the remainder of the season. He appeared in a career-high 141 games, recording a batting average of .282, 13 home runs, and 55 RBI, marking a significant rebound from his previous season's struggles.

In 2020, Mogi was appointed team captain for the first time in his career by Hajime Miki, who had moved from minor league manager to first-team manager. He started the season as the leadoff hitter and shortstop, but as rookie Hiroto Kobukata began playing shortstop, Mogi transitioned to primarily playing as the third batter and third baseman. He showed strong offensive performance, with his batting average reaching .335 by August 19, ranking fifth in the league. On September 11, in a game against the Nippon-Ham Fighters at Rakuten Seimei Park, Mogi hit a game-winning, walk-off home run in the bottom of the tenth inning, a first in Eagles history. This hit earned him the "Skapa! Dramatic Sayonara Award" for September. However, he was removed from the roster on September 30 due to lower back pain, ending his season. Despite playing fewer games (73) and hitting fewer home runs (7) than the previous year, his batting average of .301 marked his first time above .300. In contract negotiations on December 9, his salary was reduced by 7.00 M JPY to an estimated 74.00 M JPY. He agreed to continue as captain for the 2021 season at the request of Kazuhisa Ishii, who would become the general manager and first-team manager.

In 2021, Mogi started the opening game as the fifth batter and third baseman. He primarily played as the sixth batter and third baseman, appearing in 120 games. He posted a batting average of .259, 14 home runs, and 53 RBI. His UZR as a third baseman was the highest among all 12 teams, and his WAR was the highest in the Pacific League. After a temporary absence due to health issues, he underwent lumbar disc herniation surgery on November 25. His contract was renewed with a 10.00 M JPY increase, bringing his estimated annual salary to 84.00 M JPY.

In 2022, Mogi started the opening game as the fifth batter and third baseman, similar to the previous year, recording one hit in four at-bats. However, on March 27, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was sidelined. He returned on May 13 as the sixth batter and shortstop against the Lions but experienced a severe hitting slump, with only 1 hit in 18 at-bats and a batting average of .056, leading to another removal from the first-team roster. He rejoined the first team on June 10 and remained with the team until the end of the season. However, he saw reduced playing time as a starter, finishing with 73 games played, a career-low batting average of .223, 9 home runs, and 30 RBI. In the offseason, his contract was reduced by 10.00 M JPY to an estimated 74.00 M JPY. He announced his intention to seriously resume practicing at shortstop in addition to third base for the upcoming season, aiming to reclaim a regular starting position across multiple infield spots.

In 2023, Mogi acquired domestic free agency rights on April 7. He lost his starting third base position to Yukiya Ito, who had joined the team from the Yokohama DeNA BayStars the previous year. By April 21, he had appeared in only 8 games (starting 3) with a batting average of .083, leading to his removal from the roster. He then experienced his first extended period in the minor leagues for reasons other than injury, as Ito, Hiroto Kobukata, and Michael Franco primarily covered the third base position. He did not return to the first team that season, playing 72 games in the minor leagues with a batting average of .297 and 3 home runs. He decided not to exercise his domestic free agency rights and remained with the Eagles. On December 1, his contract was reduced by 14.00 M JPY to an estimated 60.00 M JPY.

In 2024, Mogi earned an opening day starting spot for the first time in two years, playing first base and batting leadoff. However, he struggled in April with a batting average in the 10% range, leading to an increase in his role as a pinch hitter. On April 23, in a game against the Nippon-Ham Fighters at Rakuten Mobile Park, he hit his first home run of the season as a pinch hitter, temporarily tying the game. On June 4, against the Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium, he was brought in as a pinch hitter with two outs and a runner on second in the tenth inning. He hit a crucial RBI triple to left-center field off Javy Guerra, contributing to his team's victory. He continued to perform effectively as a pinch-hitting specialist but was removed from the roster on August 13 due to health issues and did not return to the first team. He concluded the season having played 46 games, with a batting average of .265, 1 home run, and 8 RBI. On November 13, he announced his decision to exercise his domestic free agency rights, seeking more playing opportunities.

2.2. Tokyo Yakult Swallows (2025-present)

On December 5, 2024, it was announced that Eigoro Mogi would join the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He signed a two-year contract with an estimated annual salary of 70.00 M JPY, plus incentives. He was assigned uniform number 8. Following his transfer, the distinctive fan chant "Mogi! Mogi! Mogi Eigoro!" that became popular during his time with Rakuten was carried over and continues to be used by Swallows fans.

4.1. Awards and Honors

• Skapa! Dramatic Sayonara Award: 1 time (September 2020)
• Best Nine (Tokyo Big6 Baseball League): 2 times (Spring 2012, Spring 2015)
• Most Valuable Player (64th All-Japan University Baseball Championship): 1 time (2015)
• Batting Title (Tokyo Big6 Baseball League): 1 time (Autumn 2014)
• Home Run King (Tokyo Big6 Baseball League): 1 time (Spring 2015)
• RBI King (Tokyo Big6 Baseball League): 1 time (Spring 2015)

4.2. First Records

• First appearance and first start: March 25, 2016, vs. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Game 1, Rakuten Kobo Stadium Miyagi), starting as 6th batter and shortstop.
• First at-bat: Same as above, in the 2nd inning, a flyout to center field off Tadahito Settsu.
• First hit: March 26, 2016, vs. Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (Game 2, Rakuten Kobo Stadium Miyagi), in the 2nd inning, a triple to center field off Rick van den Hurk.
• First RBI: April 1, 2016, vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (Game 1, Rakuten Kobo Stadium Miyagi), in the 2nd inning, by groundout to second base off Yusei Kikuchi.
• First stolen base: April 2, 2016, vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (Game 2, Rakuten Kobo Stadium Miyagi), in the 3rd inning, a steal of second base (pitcher: Yosuke Okamoto, catcher: Ginjiro Sumitani) - a double steal with third base runner Zelous Wheeler.
• First home run: May 11, 2016, vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (Game 7, Rakuten Kobo Stadium Miyagi), in the 2nd inning, a three-run home run to right field off Isamu Sato.

4.3. Other Notable Records

• 5 strikeouts in a single game: April 20, 2016, vs. Orix Buffaloes (Game 5, Rakuten Kobo Stadium Miyagi) - 15th player in NPB history (7th in the Pacific League).
• 2 running home runs in a single season: 2016 - Pacific League rookie record.
• 3 first-pitch leadoff home runs in a single season: 2017 - tied Pacific League season record.
• All-Star Game selections: 2 times (2019; also selected in 2017 but withdrew).
• First player in Climax Series history to hit leadoff home runs in both the First Stage and Final Stage (2017).
• First walk-off reverse grand slam in Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles history (September 11, 2020).
• All-Japan University Baseball Championship: Most runs scored in a tournament (10 runs, 2015).

6.1. Batting Statistics

• Statistics as of the end of the 2024 season.
• Bold indicates league leader.

6.2. Fielding Statistics

• Statistics as of the end of the 2024 season.
• Bold indicates league leader.