Haruka Nemoto

2.1. Birth and Childhood

Haruka Nemoto was born on March 31, 2003, in Shiraoi Town, Shiraoi District, Hokkaido, Japan. He began playing baseball in the first grade of elementary school.

2.2. School and Baseball Career

During his time at Shiraoi Town Shiraoi Junior High School, Nemoto was a member of the soft-ball baseball club. In his third year, he achieved a notable feat by pitching a perfect game in the final match of the 39th National Junior High School Rubber-ball Baseball Tournament. A few months later, he participated in the 9th U-15 Asia Baseball Championship, where he formed a battery with Sotoma Uchiyama, who later joined the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, and contributed to Japan's championship victory. His teammates from this tournament, Kotaro Yamashiro, Seiki Teranishi, and Shuto Hirao, also went on to become professional baseball players.

Nemoto then attended Tomakomai Chuo High School. In the summer of his third year, he recorded 15 strikeouts against Komazawa University Tomakomai High School in the quarterfinals, but his team was defeated, preventing him from participating in the Koshien Tournament. Yuta Saito was two years his junior at the same high school.

3.1. Draft and Entry

On October 26, 2020, Nemoto was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 Nippon Professional Baseball draft by his hometown team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He officially signed a provisional contract on December 2, with a signing bonus of approximately 20.00 M JPY and an estimated annual salary of 5.20 M JPY. He was assigned jersey number 59.

3.2. 2021 Season

Nemoto's rookie year saw him make his official game debut in the Eastern League against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows on March 31, 2021, where he pitched one inning, allowing no hits, one walk, and recording one strikeout, without giving up any runs. Despite a period of absence from mid-July due to lower back stiffness, he continued to gain experience in the minor leagues. He finished his rookie season in the Eastern League with 12 appearances, a 1-1 record, and an impressive 1.82 ERA. Following the conclusion of the league season, he participated in the Miyazaki Phoenix League starting October 11, and from November 3 to 16, he focused on improving his changeup during the autumn camp, a pitch he felt lacked precision. He renewed his contract in the offseason for an estimated annual salary of 5.20 M JPY, remaining at the same salary.

3.3. 2022 Season

In 2022, Nemoto started the spring training with the first team and was included in the opening day roster as a relief pitcher. He made his professional debut on March 25 in the opening game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, where he pitched one inning, allowing no hits, two walks or hit-by-pitches, and recording three strikeouts without giving up any runs, earning his first professional hold. His first professional start came on April 1 against the Orix Buffaloes, but he was the losing pitcher after allowing one run in 3 2/3 innings. He was subsequently removed from the active roster on April 2.

After a period of adjustment in the minor leagues, Nemoto returned to start against the Yomiuri Giants on May 29 at Sapporo Dome. He pitched five innings, allowing five hits, three walks or hit-by-pitches, and two runs, securing his first professional win. He was again removed from the roster on May 30 due to lack of pitching opportunities. He made another start on June 9 against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. On June 21, he made a relief appearance against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, giving up a solo home run to Hideto Asamura and allowing one run in two innings, leading to his removal from the roster on June 22. He started again on July 20 against Orix, pitching five innings and allowing two runs, but was the losing pitcher and removed from the roster on July 21.

However, from his start against Rakuten on July 31, Nemoto became a regular part of the starting rotation, despite two more roster removals due to pitching opportunities. For the 2022 season, he appeared in 13 games (11 starts) in the first team, achieving a 3-3 record with one hold and a 2.52 ERA. In the Eastern League, he recorded 2 wins and 4 losses with a 2.23 ERA in 10 appearances. In recognition of his performance, he received the Eastern League Outstanding Player award at the NPB Awards 2022 on November 25. On November 29, his contract was renewed for an estimated annual salary of 13.00 M JPY, an increase of 7.80 M JPY.

3.4. 2023 Season

In 2023, Nemoto entered spring training having reduced his weight and body fat. However, he later stated that he struggled with his pitching mechanics, feeling a lack of power in his throws. He had a challenging spring, giving up many runs in open games, and started the season in the minor leagues. He gradually regained weight, returning to his previous year's weight by June, and recorded a personal best fastball speed of 93 mph ^{(150 km/h)} in a minor league game. In 14 minor league appearances, he had a 2-3 record with a 3.53 ERA.

Nemoto made his season debut as a starter on August 10 against the Saitama Seibu Lions. Although he gave up a game-tying three-run home run to Takaya Hiruma in the fifth inning, the team scored three runs in the following inning, securing Nemoto his first win of the season despite pitching five innings and allowing three runs. On August 17, against the Chiba Lotte Marines, he was hit by a batted ball on his left ankle, forcing him to leave the game after 3 2/3 scoreless innings. He was diagnosed with a bruise and removed from the roster on August 18. He returned to action in a minor league game on September 2 and rejoined the first team on September 17 against SoftBank. For the season, he made five starts, achieving a 3-1 record with a 2.88 ERA. After the season, he participated in the 2nd Asia Professional Baseball Championship. His contract was renewed for an estimated annual salary of 16.00 M JPY, an increase of 3.00 M JPY.

3.5. 2024 Season

For the 2024 season, Nemoto adjusted his pitching form to a smaller takeback. He pitched in a Japan national team exhibition game on March 7, throwing one inning with one walk and no runs allowed. He aimed to secure a spot in the opening day rotation but struggled in open games and began the season in the minor leagues. His first start of the season came on April 14 against Orix. Despite his team scoring three runs in the first inning, Nemoto immediately gave up three hits and three walks, allowing Orix to tie the game. He continued to struggle with control in the second inning, allowing two more walks or hit-by-pitches, and was removed from the game after two innings, having given up three runs. Although he was not credited with a win or loss, he was sent back to the minor leagues after the game.

In the minor leagues, Nemoto continued to experience control issues. On May 18, he was used in a relief role in a minor league game but struggled, giving up three hits, three walks or hit-by-pitches, and four runs in one inning. His performance did not improve, and he continued to pitch in relief before returning to a starting role in late June. His second start of the season in the first team was on August 3 against SoftBank, but his control was again inconsistent. He pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, three walks, and five runs (four earned runs), and was removed from the game. He was not credited with a win or loss, but was sent back to the minor leagues on August 4. He did not return to the first team for the remainder of the season, finishing with two starts, no wins, and a 14.54 ERA. In the offseason, his contract was renewed for an estimated annual salary of 15.00 M JPY, a decrease of 1.00 M JPY.

3.6. Player Characteristics

Haruka Nemoto is a left-handed pitcher who, at 68 in ^{(173 cm)}, is considered relatively small for a pitcher. His repertoire of pitches includes a fastball that can reach up to 93 mph ^{(150 km/h)}, a slider, a changeup, a forkball, and a curveball. He is known for his pitching style that involves out-thinking batters through timing and tempo, rather than relying solely on overpowering velocity.

4.1. 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship

On October 24, 2023, Haruka Nemoto was selected to represent Japan in the 2nd Asia Professional Baseball Championship. He was utilized as a second starter in the tournament. In the preliminary round game against Taiwan, he entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with the score tied. He retired all three batters he faced, and Japan took the lead with a solo home run in the next half-inning, earning Nemoto the win for his two perfect innings. In the final game against South Korea, he pitched three scoreless innings, recording four strikeouts, significantly contributing to Japan's second consecutive championship victory in the tournament.

5.1. Key Records

• First appearance and first hold: March 25, 2022, against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Fukuoka PayPay Dome, pitching one scoreless inning in relief.
• First strikeout: March 25, 2022, against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, striking out Nobuhiro Matsuda.
• First start: April 1, 2022, against the Orix Buffaloes at Kyocera Dome Osaka, pitching 3 2/3 innings and allowing one run as the losing pitcher.
• First win and first start win: May 29, 2022, against the Yomiuri Giants at Sapporo Dome, pitching five innings and allowing two runs.

5.2. Awards

• Eastern League Outstanding Player (2022)
• Gold Medal at the 2023 Asia Professional Baseball Championship

6.1. Nickname and Peer Evaluation

Haruka Nemoto's common nickname is "Nemo-chan" (ねもっちゃん^Japanese). During his time at Tomakomai Chuo High School, his coach, Hiroaki Watanabe, praised Nemoto's consistent dedication, stating that he "never compromises on instructions" and "has no arrogance at all despite being a national champion in junior high." This highlights Nemoto's serious approach to preparation and training.

7.1. Yearly Pitching Records

7.2. Yearly Fielding Records

8.1. Jersey Number

Haruka Nemoto has worn jersey number 59 for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters since 2021.

8.2. Entrance Songs

Since 2022, Haruka Nemoto's entrance song has been "Sora wa Marude" (空はまるで^Japanese) by the band Monkey Majik.