Noboru Shimizu

2.1. Childhood and Education

Shimizu was born on October 15, 1996, in Adachi, Tokyo. During his elementary school years at Kohoku Elementary School, he played youth baseball for the Junior Youngers team. In junior high school, he was a member of the soft-ball baseball club at Sundai Gakuen Junior High School, where in his third year, his team reached the best eight at the 33rd National Junior High School Soft-ball Baseball Tournament.

He attended Teikyo High School, becoming the ace of the baseball team in the fall of his first year. In the summer East Tokyo tournament of his third year, Teikyo High School defeated Koyamadai High School, which featured Yosuke Ito, a participant in the 86th National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament, in the quarterfinals. They continued their success by winning against Kanto Daiichi High School, whose roster included one-year younger Rui Okoye, in the semi-finals. However, Teikyo High School was ultimately defeated in the final by Nishogakusha University附属 High School, which featured Ryusei Oe. Shimizu's teammates at Teikyo High School included Ryo Ishikawa (one year his senior), Kosei Tajima (same year), and Takuya Gun (two years his junior).

Shimizu continued his baseball career at Kokugakuin University, participating in league games from his freshman year and becoming the ace from the spring of his sophomore year. Throughout his career in the Tohto University Baseball League, he appeared in 43 games, recording 13 wins, 7 losses, 202 strikeouts, and an ERA of 2.83. Among his teammates at Kokugakuin University were Kaede Yokoyama (one year his junior) and Ryusei Ogawa (two years his junior).

2.2. Professional Draft and Entry

On October 25, 2018, Noboru Shimizu was selected by the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the first round of the 2018 NPB Draft. He officially signed a provisional contract with the team on November 18, and his uniform number was designated as 17.

3.1. 2019 Season

In his rookie year in 2019, Shimizu was promoted to the first team midway through the season. He made his professional debut as a starter on June 1 against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars at Yokohama Stadium, pitching 4 innings and allowing 5 earned runs, resulting in a loss. Overall, he appeared in 11 games, recording 0 wins, 3 losses, and a high ERA of 7.27, which was not the immediate impact expected from a first-round draft pick. In the minor league (farm team), he pitched in 17 games, with 5 wins, 9 losses, and an ERA of 4.48. In October, he served as the opening day starter for the Miyazaki Phoenix League.

3.2. 2020 Season

Shimizu showed significant improvement in the 2020 season. He recorded 4 appearances with an ERA of 2.84 during the exhibition games, securing a spot on the opening day roster for the first team. He maintained his excellent form throughout the season, predominantly serving as the team's setup pitcher. Shimizu led the Central League with 30 holds and was tied for the league lead in hold points with 30, alongside Daisuke Sobue and Fukuka Fukumoto of the Chunichi Dragons. These impressive statistics earned him his first Best Middle Reliever title. He made history by becoming the first pitcher in professional baseball to win a title without having recorded a single professional win, and also the first to win a title based solely on his holds.

3.3. 2021 Season

The 2021 season was a breakout year for Noboru Shimizu. He continued his role as a setup pitcher and recorded his first professional win on July 1 against the Hanshin Tigers at Hanshin Koshien Stadium. This victory was particularly notable as it came in his 100th career game. On September 21, in a game against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, he broke the club record for holds held by Kazuki Kondo, achieving his 36th hold of the season. Shimizu finished the season leading the league with 72 appearances, recording 3 wins, 6 losses, 1 save, and a groundbreaking 50 holds. His 50 holds established a new Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) single-season record, surpassing the previous record of 47 holds set by Takuya Asao (former Chunichi Dragons) in 2010. Shimizu, alongside closer Scott McGough, consistently contributed to the team's "victory formula," playing a crucial role in the Swallows' first Central League championship in six years and their first Japan Series title in 20 years. Following this stellar season, he signed a contract extension for an estimated annual salary of 88.00 M JPY, marking a significant increase of 52.00 M JPY.

3.4. 2022 Season

For the 2022 season, Noboru Shimizu set a goal to improve his pitching against right-handed batters and to reduce the number of home runs allowed, which had been a concern in the previous two years. He had a slow start to the season, and in April, he suffered a loss after giving up a game-winning home run to Takaya Ishikawa of the Chunichi Dragons. On April 17, he was hit by a batted ball during a game against Yokohama DeNA BayStars, which led to a temporary removal from the roster. However, after his return, his pitching stabilized considerably. Following another temporary absence in July due to COVID-19 infection, he maintained his form and continued to effectively pitch in the 8th inning role. Although his total appearances and hold points significantly decreased due to these absences, preventing him from winning another title, he successfully addressed his previous issues: he did not allow any home runs after the one to Ishikawa, and his batting average against right-handed batters dropped considerably. He achieved a career-high ERA in the low 1.00s, contributing significantly to the Swallows' second consecutive league championship. On December 9, he signed a new contract for an estimated annual salary of 100.00 M JPY, an increase of {{cvt|12|M|JPY]].

3.5. 2023 Season

In the 2023 season, Noboru Shimizu continued his role as a setup pitcher for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. On June 10, during a game against the Saitama Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome, he pitched a scoreless 8th inning while his team held a one-run lead. This appearance marked his 128th career hold, establishing a new club record for the most holds in Tokyo Yakult Swallows history. In July, Shimizu was selected to participate in the 2023 NPB All-Star Game, making his first All-Star appearance in two years. He finished the season with 58 appearances, tied for the team lead, and recorded 38 holds. However, his ERA increased to 2.98, indicating a slight decrease in stability compared to the previous year, and he incurred 8 losses. On November 7, Shimizu was appointed as the player representative for the upcoming season, becoming the first relief pitcher to hold this leadership position for the Swallows since manager Shingo Takatsu in 2001. On December 12, he signed a contract extension for an estimated annual salary of 130.00 M JPY, reflecting a raise of {{cvt|30|M|JPY]].

3.6. 2024 Season

The 2024 season saw Noboru Shimizu limited to just 17 appearances. He recorded 0 wins and 3 losses, with an ERA of 7.27. On December 3, he signed a contract extension for an estimated annual salary of 90.00 M JPY, a decrease of {{cvt|40|M|JPY]] from the previous year.

4.1. Pitching Style

Noboru Shimizu's fastball velocity reaches a maximum of 94 mph ^{(151 km/h)}. His primary pitches include a slider, forkball, two-seam fastball, and most recently, a cut fastball. He learned his slider grip and throwing method from the renowned pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. Up until the 2023 season, his pitching repertoire was heavily reliant on his fastball and forkball, which together accounted for approximately 90% of his pitches. To diversify his pitching and provide more options to confuse batters, Shimizu acquired a new pitch, the cut fastball, before the start of the 2024 season.

4.2. Personal Attributes

Noboru Shimizu is commonly known by his nickname, "Shiminobo" (シミノボ_Shiminobo^Japanese).

5.1. Pitching Statistics

The table below presents Noboru Shimizu's yearly pitching performance and key metrics throughout his professional career.

• G: Games pitched
• GS: Games started
• CG: Complete games
• SHO: Shutouts
• W: Wins
• L: Losses
• SV: Saves
• HLD: Holds
• WPct: Winning percentage
• TBF: Total batters faced
• IP: Innings pitched
• H: Hits allowed
• HR: Home runs allowed
• BB: Base on balls (walks)
• IBB: Intentional base on balls
• HBP: Hit by pitch
• SO: Strikeouts
• WP: Wild pitches
• BK: Balks
• R: Runs allowed
• ER: Earned runs allowed
• ERA: Earned run average
• WHIP: Walks plus hits per inning pitched
• Bold indicates league leader; Red Bold indicates NPB record.

5.2. Fielding Statistics

The table below details Noboru Shimizu's yearly fielding performance as a pitcher.

• G: Games played
• PO: Putouts
• A: Assists
• E: Errors
• DP: Double plays
• FPct: Fielding percentage

6.1. Titles

• Best Middle Reliever: 2 times (2020, 2021). His achievement of winning this title in two consecutive years ties the record for the longest streak, shared with other notable pitchers including Hitoshi Iwase, Shinji Mori, Tomoyuki Kubota, Tadashi Settsu, Takuya Asao, Tetsuya Yamaguchi, Tatsuya Sato, Shinobu Fukuhara, and Naoki Miyanishi.

6.2. Awards

• Central League Special Award: 1 time (League Special Award: 2021). This award was given in recognition of his exceptional 2021 season, during which he set a new NPB record with 50 holds.
• Tetsukougyou Presents Tsubame no Shita no Chikaramochishou: October/November 2020.

7.1. First Records

These are the initial achievements recorded by Noboru Shimizu since his professional debut:

• First Appearance and First Start: June 1, 2019, against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (11th game of the season) at Yokohama Stadium. He pitched 4 innings, allowing 5 runs, and was tagged with the loss.
• First Strikeout: In the same game on June 1, 2019, in the bottom of the 1st inning, he recorded a swinging strikeout against Toshiro Miyazaki.
• First Hold: June 19, 2020, against the Chunichi Dragons (1st game of the season) at Meiji Jingu Stadium. He entered as the third pitcher in the top of the 6th inning with two outs, pitching 1/3 of an inning without allowing any runs.
• First Save: April 23, 2021, against the Chunichi Dragons (3rd game of the season) at Meiji Jingu Stadium. He entered as the fifth pitcher in the top of the 9th inning to close the game, pitching 1 scoreless inning.
• First Win: July 1, 2021, against the Hanshin Tigers (12th game of the season) at Hanshin Koshien Stadium. He entered as the second pitcher in the bottom of the 8th inning, pitching 1 scoreless inning. This win was achieved in his 100th career game.
• First Plate Appearance: June 1, 2019, against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (11th game of the season) at Yokohama Stadium. In the top of the 2nd inning, he had a swinging strikeout against Taiga Kamichatani.

7.2. Milestone Records

• 100 Holds: August 31, 2022, against the Yomiuri Giants (23rd game of the season) at Kyocera Dome Osaka. He entered as the fifth pitcher in the bottom of the 8th inning, pitching 1 scoreless inning. Shimizu became the 43rd player in NPB history to achieve this milestone, and his accomplishment in 174 games made it the fastest in league history.

7.3. Other Notable Records

• Single-Season 50 Holds: Achieved in 2021, setting a new NPB record.
• 10 Consecutive Losses from First Appearance until First Win: Shimizu incurred 10 consecutive losses before securing his first professional win, making him the 8th player in NPB history to do so.
• 100 Games Pitched Until First Professional Win: He recorded his first win in his 100th career appearance, becoming the 8th player in NPB history to take over 100 games to achieve a professional win.
• Title Acquisition Without a Professional Win: In 2020, Shimizu became the first player in NPB history to win an individual title (Best Middle Reliever) before recording his first professional win.
• All-Star Game Appearances: 2 times (2021, 2023).

8.1. Uniform Number

Noboru Shimizu has worn the uniform number 17 throughout his professional career with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, from 2019 to the present.

8.2. Entrance Music

When Noboru Shimizu appears in games, his entrance music has varied:

• "Rising Sun" by EXILE (used in 2019).
• "Sandstorm (2020 EDM Remix)" by Darude (used from 2020 to present).