Hiroki Ohnishi

2.1. Amateur career

Hiroki Ohnishi began playing soft baseball during his elementary school years. He attended Osaka University of Commerce High School, where he established himself as the team's ace pitcher starting in the autumn of his second year. Despite his strong individual performance, his high school team did not qualify for the prestigious Koshien Tournament. Driven by a clear ambition to become a professional baseball player, Ohnishi decided to pursue a university education to further develop his skills.

He enrolled at Osaka University of Commerce and began playing in official games from his first year. During his collegiate career in the Kansai Big Six Baseball League, he compiled an impressive record of 27 wins and only 2 losses. His outstanding performance earned him the Best Nine award twice and the Best Pitcher award three times. Notable teammates at Osaka University of Commerce included Yuki Hashimoto and Dan Onodera. In the 2019 Nippon Professional Baseball rookie draft, Ohnishi was selected in the fourth round by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. On November 26, he formally signed a provisional contract, receiving a signing bonus of 47.00 M JPY and an initial annual salary of 7.20 M JPY.

2.2. Professional career

Ohnishi began his professional career with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in 2020, being included on the team's opening day roster.

In his rookie year, 2020, Ohnishi made his professional debut on June 21 against the Chunichi Dragons at Meiji Jingu Stadium. He entered the game in the 8th inning as the second relief pitcher and pitched one scoreless inning. His first professional start occurred on August 5, also at Meiji Jingu Stadium, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. He pitched five innings, allowing two earned runs, and was ultimately tagged with the loss. For the 2020 season, he made five appearances, recording one loss and an ERA of 5.00.

The 2021 season marked a significant step forward for Ohnishi. He was registered for the top squad on May 27. On June 1, he secured his first professional win against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Meiji Jingu Stadium. Entering the game in relief during the 6th inning, he pitched two scoreless innings, and his team immediately took the lead, earning him the victory. He concluded the 2021 season with 33 appearances, a record of 3 wins and 0 losses, and 7 holds, maintaining an ERA of 2.82. Following this successful season, his contract was renewed for an estimated 14.00 M JPY, representing an increase of 6.20 M JPY.

In 2022, Ohnishi once again started the season as part of the top squad. However, in July, he experienced a temporary departure from the team after testing positive for COVID-19 on July 10, amidst a cluster of infections within the team. This health issue notably impacted his stamina during the latter part of the season. Despite these challenges, he achieved a career-high of 43 appearances, finishing the year with an ERA of 4.45.

He maintained his role as a consistent bullpen arm, making 46 appearances in 2023. In 2024, Ohnishi recorded 60 appearances, securing his first professional save on July 20 against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars at Meiji Jingu Stadium by closing out the ninth inning without allowing a run. His strong performance in 2024 also earned him an appearance in the 2024 NPB All-Star Game.

4.1. Schools attended

• Osaka University of Commerce High School
• Osaka University of Commerce

4.2. Career records

4.3. Uniform number

• 44 (2020-present)

4.4. Entrance song

• "Oregayareba" by Kotobuki-kun (寿君_Kotobuki-kun^Japanese) (2020-2021)
• "Tatakau Anata e" by Express (2021-present)

4.5. Year-by-year statistics