1. Early Life and Baseball Career
Kenta Imamiya was born on July 15, 1991, in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, Japan. His baseball journey began early, as he excelled as an ace pitcher for Meiho Junior High School, participating in the 23rd All-Japan Junior Soft Baseball Tournament. He also played on the same youth baseball team as Yasuke Yamano, who was one year his junior.
He attended Meiho High School, where he distinguished himself as both a pitcher and an infielder, often playing as a shortstop and occasionally a third baseman. In his first year, he became a regular shortstop while also pitching. He led his team to victory in the Oita Prefectural Tournament and the Kyushu Tournament, contributing significantly with a .540 batting average in official games and a 1-run complete game victory against Okinawa Shogaku High School in the Kyushu Tournament final. As a pitcher, he achieved a top speed of 96 mph (154 km/h), showcasing a strong arm capable of a 394 ft (120 m) long toss.
Imamiya made his first appearance at Koshien Stadium in the 80th Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament during his second year, starting as the "1st pitcher" (jersey number 1), though his team was defeated in the first round. In the fall of his second year, Meiho High School won the prefectural tournament and reached the top four in the Kyushu Tournament, securing their second consecutive invitation to the Spring Koshien. In his third year, he became a reserve pitcher and played as the "3rd third baseman" (jersey number 5) in the 81st Invitational Tournament. His team won the first round but was defeated in the second round by Hanamaki Higashi High School, which featured Yusei Kikuchi.
During the summer of his third year, he participated in the prefectural tournament as a shortstop (or third baseman) and pitcher, hitting three consecutive home runs and securing consecutive Koshien appearances for spring and summer. In the 91st Japanese High School Baseball Championship at Koshien, he played as the "3rd shortstop" (jersey number 6) and pitcher. His team advanced to the quarterfinals, where they again faced Hanamaki Higashi. Imamiya was pulled from the mound in the fourth inning after giving up consecutive hits, moving to third base. He re-entered to pitch in the ninth inning with one out and a runner on third, striking out two consecutive batters to escape the jam, but ultimately gave up the go-ahead hit in the tenth inning, leading to a loss.
On October 29, 2009, Kenta Imamiya was selected by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the first round of the 2009 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He provisionally signed on November 8, and was assigned jersey number 2, which had been vacant since Kenji Johjima's departure.
2. Professional Career
Kenta Imamiya's professional career with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks has been marked by consistent defensive excellence, a unique offensive approach, and significant contributions to multiple championships.
2.1. 2010-2015 Seasons
In the 2010 season, Imamiya played in the Western League, NPB's minor league system.
His NPB debut came on April 12, 2011, as a defensive substitute at first base. He spent over half the season with the first team but had limited opportunities, appearing in 18 games with only one at-bat. He was selected for the 2011 Japan Series roster. Following the 2011 NPB season, Imamiya played for the Brisbane Bandits in the Australian Baseball League and was named to the 2011 Australian Baseball League All-Star Game. He made his first start in the Asia Series on November 25 against the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions and recorded three hits, one RBI, and one stolen base against the Samsung Lions the following day.
On April 30, 2012, Imamiya recorded his first career hit and RBI in the Pacific League. He hit his first professional home run on August 4 against the Saitama Seibu Lions and followed it with another on August 5, marking his first consecutive home run games. He finished the 2012 regular season playing in 126 games with a batting average of .238, 2 home runs, 14 RBIs, 8 stolen bases, and 21 sacrifice bunts. He started 84 games at shortstop, often filling in due to injuries to teammates.
In the 2013 season, Imamiya established himself as the Hawks' regular shortstop, starting in 142 games. On July 14, he hit his first career walk-off hit against the Orix Buffaloes. On September 25, he set a new Pacific League single-season record with 62 sacrifice bunts, surpassing the previous record of 58 held by Kensuke Tanaka since 2007. His batting also improved, particularly in August, where he recorded a monthly batting average of .362 after being moved to the second spot in the batting order. Following the season, he received his first Mitsui Golden Glove Award. In November, he was selected to the Japan national baseball team for the 2013 BASEBALL CHALLENGE against Chinese Taipei.
The 2014 season saw Imamiya participate in the Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game for the first time. He recorded 62 sacrifice bunts again, becoming the first player in NPB history to achieve 60 or more sacrifice bunts in two consecutive years. He played in all 144 regular season games, finishing with a .240 batting average, 3 home runs, 42 RBIs, and 10 stolen bases. In the 2014 Japan Series against the Hanshin Tigers, he recorded his first hit in the Japan Series in Game 1. He was honored with his first Best Nine Award and his second consecutive Golden Glove Award at the NPB Awards 2014. He was also selected for the 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series, though he went hitless in four at-bats across five games, he recorded three hits in exhibition matches.
In 2015, Imamiya was again selected for the MAZDA All-Star Game. He finished the regular season playing 142 games with a .228 batting average, 7 home runs, 45 RBIs, 3 stolen bases, and a league-leading 35 sacrifice bunts. In the 2015 Japan Series against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, he contributed to the team's second consecutive Japan Series championship with a .278 batting average and one home run. He received his third consecutive Golden Glove Award. He was also selected for the GLOBAL BASEBALL MATCH 2015 SAMURAI JAPAN vs. Europe National Team and the 2015 WBSC Premier12.
2.2. 2016-2020 Seasons
On June 2, 2016, Imamiya achieved his 200th career sacrifice bunt, becoming the youngest player in NPB history to reach this milestone at 24 years and 10 months old. He finished the 2016 season in 137 games with a .245 batting average, 10 home runs, 56 RBIs, 8 stolen bases, and 38 sacrifice bunts, marking his first season with double-digit home runs. On October 28, he underwent surgery on his right elbow to remove loose bodies from the joint. He received his fourth consecutive Golden Glove Award on November 28. In December, he signed a contract extension for 145.00 M JPY.
In 2017, Imamiya declined to participate in the 2017 World Baseball Classic due to his ongoing rehabilitation from right elbow surgery. He returned to the team at the start of the 2017 season and was named the starting shortstop and leadoff hitter for Opening Day. He hit his first home run of the season on April 26 and a walk-off single on May 10. He was selected by fan voting for the MyNavi All-Star Game 2017, marking his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance since 2014. He played in 141 games, achieving career highs in many categories with a .264 batting average, 14 home runs, 64 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and a .988 fielding percentage. He also recorded 52 sacrifice bunts, contributing to the team's first league championship in two years. In the 2017 Japan Series against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, he made a spectacular diving catch in Game 4 and recorded three hits and two stolen bases in Game 5, helping the Hawks secure their second consecutive Japan Series title. He received his fifth consecutive Golden Glove Award and his second Best Nine Award. He signed a contract extension for 220.00 M JPY. He also donated the 1.00 M JPY prize money received from a sponsorship to victims of the July 2017 Northern Kyushu floods.
On June 14, 2018, Imamiya was removed from the active roster for rehabilitation due to right elbow pain. He returned to the team approximately a month later, but his playing time was limited to 99 games due to injuries. He finished the season with a .266 batting average, 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, 5 stolen bases, and 22 sacrifice bunts. He hit the Hawks' 8,500th team home run and his first career grand slam in August. He also hit a leadoff home run against Yusei Kikuchi in August. His streak of five consecutive Golden Glove Awards ended. In the 2018 Japan Series against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, he contributed to the team's second consecutive Japan Series championship with a .357 batting average. Following the season, he changed his uniform number from 2 to 6, a change he requested to allow teammate Takuya Kai to wear number 2.
In the 2019 season, Imamiya adopted a new batting form, lifting his left leg earlier to time his swing, which initially led to him leading the league in batting average. On June 4, 2019, he played in his 1,000th career game. Despite being selected for the All-Star Game by both fan and player votes, he had to withdraw due to a recurrence of a left thigh muscle injury. Upon his return on July 23, he hit a home run in his first at-bat, contributing to three consecutive home runs by the Hawks. On August 8, he hit his first career pinch-hit home run, a go-ahead three-run shot. He finished the regular season in 106 games with a .256 batting average, 14 home runs, 41 RBIs, 4 stolen bases, and 7 sacrifice bunts. In the 2019 Pacific League Climax Series against the Saitama Seibu Lions, Imamiya was named the MVP after a stellar performance, including hitting three home runs in Game 4. In the 2019 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, he contributed to the team's third consecutive Japan Series championship with a .313 batting average.
On July 3, 2020, Imamiya achieved his 300th career sacrifice bunt against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, becoming the youngest player in NPB history to reach this milestone at 28 years and 11 months old. However, on August 22, he was diagnosed with a left calf muscle injury, which ended his season early. He played in only 43 games during the 2020 season.
2.3. 2021 Season-Present
On March 26, 2021, Imamiya hit a two-run home run on the first pitch of his first at-bat of the season on Opening Day. The following day, he hit a walk-off double. On April 8, he set a new Pacific League record with a total of 306 career sacrifice bunts, surpassing Tsutomu Ito's record of 305. On June 8, he hit the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' 9,000th team home run. On October 5, he achieved his 1,000th career hit against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. However, on October 23, he was diagnosed with a bone bruise in his left tibia, which ended his season. Despite playing 125 games, often with calf issues, his batting average dropped to a career-worst .214, with 4 home runs and 30 RBIs.
In the 2022 season, Imamiya focused on a more compact hitting approach, which led to a strong performance, including a .348 batting average in May. On May 25, he was temporarily removed from the first team roster due to being a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person, but was re-registered on May 31. He finished the regular season with a .296 batting average, ranking fourth in the league, along with 7 home runs and 47 RBIs in 130 games. He was selected for his sixth All-Star Game. On November 25, Imamiya won his third Best Nine Award. He was particularly effective with the bases loaded, recording a .545 batting average (6 hits in 11 at-bats) and 11 RBIs in such situations.
In 2023, Imamiya started the season with a hitless streak but recorded his first hit on April 5. On April 12, he achieved his 350th career sacrifice bunt, becoming the fourth player in NPB history and the youngest ever (31 years and 8 months) to reach this milestone. He hit three consecutive doubles in mid-April and a game-winning two-run single in extra innings on June 15. On August 31, he hit a walk-off double against the Orix Buffaloes. He experienced three temporary removals from the roster due to poor health during the season. He played 126 games, finishing with a .255 batting average, 9 home runs, and 48 RBIs.
The 2024 season saw Imamiya hit his first triple in three years on Opening Day, and his first leadoff home run in six years on April 3. During interleague play, he recorded two game-winning hits. On May 21, he achieved a rare feat by hitting two triples in a single inning, becoming only the third player in NPB history and the first in the two-league system era (since 1950) to do so. On June 9, he broke the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' club record for most games played at shortstop, reaching 1,495 games. On June 25, he scored a run on his own sacrifice bunt due to two consecutive errors by the opposing pitcher and catcher, a rare play not seen in NPB since 1982. On August 4, he surpassed Kazuo Matsui's record to become the Pacific League's all-time leader in games played at shortstop with 1,532 games. He played 133 games, batting .262 with 6 home runs and 39 RBIs, contributing to the Hawks' first league championship in four years. In the 2024 Pacific League Climax Series, he hit a solo home run in Game 1 and contributed two sacrifice bunts in Game 3, helping the team advance to the Japan Series, for which he received the Persol Award. In the 2024 Japan Series against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, he recorded 9 hits in 24 at-bats with 2 RBIs and was awarded the Fighting Spirit Award. He also received his fourth Best Nine Award.
3. Player Characteristics
Kenta Imamiya is renowned for his exceptional athleticism and versatile skills as a baseball player.
As a high school pitcher, Imamiya's fastball velocity significantly improved, reaching 87 mph (140 km/h) by his second year and peaking at 96 mph (154 km/h) during the summer Koshien tournament in his third year. He possesses a powerful arm, capable of a 394 ft (120 m) long toss. In a bullpen session in 2019, his fastball was still clocked at 88 mph (142 km/h).
Offensively, Imamiya exhibited significant power in high school, hitting 62 home runs, attributed to his ability to hit inside pitches by folding his elbows and his strong wrists. However, upon turning professional, he initially stated that home runs were not his focus with a wooden bat. Despite this, he recorded double-digit home runs for three consecutive seasons from 2017 to 2019 and achieved a historic three-home run game in the 2019 Climax Series, indicating an evolution in his offensive approach. He has expressed a desire to "swing properly" rather than solely focusing on contact. While he is a master of the sacrifice bunt, holding numerous league records, he has also stated that being given the bunt sign is not his ideal offensive role.
Imamiya is an outstanding shortstop with exceptional athleticism and a wide defensive range. His strong arm allows him to make accurate throws from deep in the hole between third base and shortstop, consistently getting runners out at first base. He is also a fast runner, with a recorded 50-meter dash time of 6.1 seconds. His defensive prowess is highlighted by his five consecutive Golden Glove Awards (2013-2017) at shortstop. He and third baseman Nobuhiro Matsuda formed the longest-tenured third base-shortstop combination in NPB history to win the Golden Glove Award for five consecutive years (2013-2017), surpassing the record held by Shinya Miyamoto and Akinori Iwamura of the Yakult Swallows.
He is a master of the sacrifice bunt, having achieved his 200th, 250th, 300th, and 350th career sacrifice bunts at the youngest age in NPB history for each milestone. He has also led the Pacific League in sacrifice bunts five times, and holds the Pacific League record for most sacrifice bunts in a single season (62 in 2013 and 2014) and career (395).
4. International Career
Kenta Imamiya has represented the Japan national baseball team in several international competitions and exhibition series:
- 2013 BASEBALL CHALLENGE Japan vs. Chinese Taipei**: Selected to the Japan national baseball team.
- 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series**: Selected to the Japan national baseball team.
- GLOBAL BASEBALL MATCH 2015 SAMURAI JAPAN vs. Europe National Team**: Selected to the Japan national baseball team. He started as the 8th batter and shortstop in Game 2, going 2-for-2.
- 2015 WBSC Premier12**: Selected to the Japan national baseball team. He earned a bronze medal with the team.
- 2016 SAMURAI JAPAN Warm-up Game Japan vs. Chinese Taipei**: Selected to the Japan national baseball team. He started as the 7th batter and shortstop in Game 2, going 2-for-2.
- ENEOS SAMURAI JAPAN Series Japan vs. Australia**: Selected to the Japan national baseball team.
5. Personal Life
Kenta Imamiya has expressed his admiration for former NPB and MLB player Kazuo Matsui, stating that he aspires to become a player like Matsui, aiming for a .300 batting average and 30 stolen bases. He considers his high school coach, Hisashi Daigobo, and his former Hawks minor league manager and infield/base running coach, Yusuke Torigoe, as his mentors, crediting Torigoe with teaching him not only baseball skills but also moral principles as a "normal person" in society.
Imamiya's grandfather was the first chief priest of Fudōson Reizan Isshin-ji Temple in Oita City, and his elder brother currently serves as the third chief priest. Since 2011, Imamiya has made it a tradition to participate in cold weather training sessions at the temple during the off-season, an activity that has also been joined by teammates like Yuki Yanagita and Taisei Makihara.
On June 6, 2016, Imamiya married a woman from his hometown who also attended Meiho High School. Their first child was born on January 28, 2017.
In 2017, after hitting a triple that struck a Fukuoka Bank advertisement sign at Fukuoka PayPay Dome, Imamiya received a 1.00 M JPY "Fukugin Award" prize. He subsequently donated the entire amount to the victims of the July 2017 Northern Kyushu floods, demonstrating his commitment to community involvement and philanthropy.
On November 30, 2021, Imamiya was appointed the new chairman of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' Players' Association.
His walk-up songs have included a variety of artists and genres over the years, such as E-girls, chay, Shota Shimizu, BiSH, Ryokuoushoku Shakai, Naoto Inti Raymi, Ayumi Hamasaki, May J., Momoiro Clover Z, NMB48, ORANGE RANGE, SCANDAL, 2NE1, Superfly, AAA, MANISH, and Little Glee Monster. He has also appeared in commercials and advertisements for companies like Beppu Daikōsan and Mitsubishi Electric.
6. Awards and Records
Kenta Imamiya has accumulated numerous awards and set significant records throughout his professional career.
6.1. Major Awards
- Best Nine Award: 4 times (Shortstop: 2014, 2017, 2022, 2024)
- Mitsui Golden Glove Award: 5 times (Shortstop: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)
- He was the first player born in the Heisei era to win the Golden Glove Award at shortstop (2013).
- His five consecutive Golden Glove Awards at shortstop are the longest streak in Pacific League history for the position.
- Monthly Sayonara Award: 1 time (June 2014)
- Climax Series MVP: 1 time (2019 Pacific League Climax Series)
- Japan Series Fighting Spirit Award: 1 time (2024 Japan Series)
6.2. Significant Records
- First Records**:
- First appearance: April 12, 2011, vs. Orix Buffaloes (Kyocera Dome Osaka), as first baseman in the 12th inning.
- First at-bat: June 6, 2011, vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp (MAZDA Zoom-Zoom Stadium Hiroshima), strikeout against Takahiro Aoki in the 8th inning.
- First stolen base: June 24, 2011, vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), second base in the 7th inning (pitcher: Yu Darvish, catcher: Shinya Tsuruoka).
- First start: April 29, 2012, vs. Chiba Lotte Marines (ZOZO Marine Stadium), as 8th batter and shortstop.
- First sacrifice bunt: April 29, 2012, vs. Chiba Lotte Marines (ZOZO Marine Stadium), against Yuki Karakawa in the 5th inning.
- First hit and first RBI: April 30, 2012, vs. Chiba Lotte Marines (ZOZO Marine Stadium), left field RBI single against Takahiro Fujioka in the 5th inning.
- First home run: August 4, 2012, vs. Saitama Seibu Lions (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), solo home run to left field against Hironori Matsunaga in the 7th inning.
- Milestone Records**:
- 200 sacrifice bunts: June 2, 2016, vs. Chunichi Dragons (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), against Raul Valdez in the 2nd inning (38th player in NPB history, youngest at 24 years, 10 months).
- 250 sacrifice bunts: July 5, 2017, vs. Orix Buffaloes (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), against Chihiro Kaneko in the 1st inning (19th player in NPB history, youngest at 25 years, 11 months).
- 1,000 games played: June 4, 2019, vs. Chunichi Dragons (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), started as 2nd batter and shortstop (499th player in NPB history).
- 300 sacrifice bunts: July 3, 2020, vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (Sapporo Dome), against Kohei Arihara in the 6th inning (7th player in NPB history, youngest at 28 years, 11 months).
- 1,000 hits: October 5, 2021, vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), left field single against Takahisa Hayakawa in the 4th inning (311th player in NPB history).
- 350 sacrifice bunts: April 12, 2023, vs. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), against Hiroto Ito in the 2nd inning (4th player in NPB history, youngest at 31 years, 8 months).
- 1,500 games played: April 23, 2024, vs. Chiba Lotte Marines (ZOZO Marine Stadium), started as 2nd batter and shortstop (206th player in NPB history).
- Other Records**:
- Most sacrifice bunts in a single season in the Pacific League: 62 (2013, 2014).
- First player in NPB history to record 60+ sacrifice bunts in two consecutive years (2013, 2014).
- Pacific League career sacrifice bunts record: 395 (as of 2024 season end).
- Most home runs in a single Climax Series game: 3 (October 13, 2019, vs. Saitama Seibu Lions, MetLife Dome, Climax Series Game 4).
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' 8,500th team home run (June 5, 2018).
- Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks' 9,000th team home run (June 8, 2021, vs. Hiroshima Toyo Carp).
- Two triples in one inning: May 21, 2024, vs. Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles (Fukuoka PayPay Dome), against Cody Ponce and Shuto Sakurai in the 4th inning (3rd player in NPB history, first in the two-league system era).
- Most games played at shortstop for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks: 1,495 (as of June 9, 2024).
- Most games played at shortstop in the Pacific League: 1,532 (as of August 4, 2024).
- All-Star Game appearances**: 6 times (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2024). He was also selected in 2019 but withdrew due to injury.
6.3. Batting Statistics
| Year | Team | G | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | TB | RBI | SB | CS | SH | SF | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | DP | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | SoftBank | 18 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| 2012 | 126 | 343 | 307 | 24 | 73 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 89 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 21 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 75 | 2 | .238 | .267 | .290 | .559 | |
| 2013 | 143 | 600 | 491 | 57 | 124 | 23 | 4 | 5 | 170 | 43 | 10 | 3 | 62 | 3 | 35 | 1 | 9 | 94 | 7 | .253 | .312 | .346 | .658 | |
| 2014 | 144 | 662 | 551 | 61 | 132 | 26 | 1 | 3 | 169 | 42 | 10 | 5 | 62 | 4 | 41 | 0 | 4 | 104 | 10 | .240 | .295 | .307 | .602 | |
| 2015 | 142 | 530 | 457 | 52 | 104 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 149 | 45 | 3 | 3 | 35 | 4 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 83 | 13 | .228 | .279 | .326 | .605 | |
| 2016 | 137 | 590 | 497 | 74 | 122 | 22 | 5 | 10 | 184 | 56 | 8 | 4 | 38 | 5 | 47 | 0 | 3 | 86 | 7 | .245 | .312 | .370 | .682 | |
| 2017 | 141 | 623 | 526 | 78 | 139 | 27 | 7 | 14 | 222 | 64 | 15 | 4 | 52 | 3 | 38 | 0 | 4 | 93 | 12 | .264 | .317 | .422 | .739 | |
| 2018 | 99 | 405 | 354 | 45 | 94 | 18 | 1 | 11 | 147 | 45 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 60 | 5 | .266 | .316 | .415 | .731 | |
| 2019 | 106 | 426 | 383 | 44 | 98 | 15 | 0 | 14 | 155 | 41 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 32 | 2 | 3 | 67 | 3 | .256 | .317 | .405 | .722 | |
| 2020 | 43 | 177 | 164 | 30 | 44 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 73 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2 | .268 | .285 | .445 | .730 | |
| 2021 | 125 | 413 | 365 | 27 | 78 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 109 | 30 | 4 | 1 | 23 | 2 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 70 | 5 | .214 | .259 | .299 | .538 | |
| 2022 | 130 | 510 | 450 | 56 | 133 | 30 | 0 | 7 | 184 | 47 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 3 | 71 | 14 | .296 | .352 | .409 | .761 | |
| 2023 | 126 | 484 | 427 | 38 | 109 | 22 | 0 | 9 | 158 | 48 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 4 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 58 | 14 | .255 | .300 | .370 | .670 | |
| 2024 | 133 | 538 | 462 | 60 | 121 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 172 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 46 | 2 | 3 | 87 | 9 | .262 | .331 | .372 | .704 | |
| NPB Career (14 years) | 1613 | 6302 | 5435 | 649 | 1371 | 256 | 30 | 98 | 1981 | 536 | 79 | 37 | 395 | 36 | 399 | 9 | 37 | 971 | 103 | .252 | .306 | .364 | .670 | |
- Bold** indicates league leader.
6.4. Fielding Statistics
| Year | Team | First Base | Shortstop | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | PO | A | E | DP | FPct | G | PO | A | E | DP | FPct | ||
| 2011 | SoftBank | 11 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | - | |||||
| 2012 | - | 122 | 143 | 257 | 12 | 35 | .971 | ||||||
| 2013 | - | 143 | 263 | 440 | 13 | 89 | .982 | ||||||
| 2014 | - | 144 | 248 | 433 | 15 | 79 | .978 | ||||||
| 2015 | - | 141 | 218 | 382 | 11 | 55 | .982 | ||||||
| 2016 | - | 136 | 216 | 368 | 11 | 61 | .982 | ||||||
| 2017 | - | 140 | 183 | 377 | 7 | 54 | .988 | ||||||
| 2018 | - | 98 | 152 | 226 | 11 | 45 | .972 | ||||||
| 2019 | - | 104 | 174 | 259 | 6 | 58 | .986 | ||||||
| 2020 | - | 37 | 60 | 113 | 1 | 26 | .994 | ||||||
| 2021 | - | 123 | 166 | 269 | 5 | 58 | .989 | ||||||
| 2022 | - | 130 | 186 | 284 | 7 | 64 | .985 | ||||||
| 2023 | - | 125 | 186 | 297 | 10 | 50 | .980 | ||||||
| 2024 | - | 132 | 168 | 332 | 4 | 59 | .992 | ||||||
| Career | 11 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | 1575 | 2363 | 4037 | 113 | 733 | .983 | |
- Bold** indicates league leader.
- Bold year** indicates Golden Glove Award recipient.
7. Legacy and Evaluation
Kenta Imamiya has established himself as one of the most impactful shortstops in Nippon Professional Baseball, particularly within the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks organization. His legacy is defined by his consistent, high-level defensive play, which has earned him multiple Golden Glove Awards and made him a cornerstone of the Hawks' infield for over a decade. His wide range, strong arm, and exceptional athleticism have frequently been highlighted as among the best in the league, contributing significantly to his team's defensive stability.
Beyond his defense, Imamiya's unique offensive contributions, especially his record-setting proficiency in sacrifice bunts, have been crucial to the Hawks' strategic play. While his batting average has fluctuated, his ability to execute small ball and advance runners has been invaluable, particularly in high-pressure situations. His evolution to also contribute with power, as seen in his double-digit home run seasons and clutch hitting in the Climax Series, demonstrates his adaptability and growth as a hitter.
Imamiya's leadership, though not always vocal, is evident in his consistent performance and dedication. His long tenure with the Hawks, his role in their numerous Japan Series championships, and his individual accolades underscore his importance to the team's success. He is widely regarded as a highly respected figure in Japanese professional baseball, known for his professionalism, resilience through injuries, and commitment to both his team and the sport, often described as a leader who speaks through his play.
