Ryoya Kurihara

2.1. Childhood and High School Career

Ryoya Kurihara began his baseball journey in the first grade of Fukui City Morita Elementary School, joining the "Morita Fighters." Upon entering Fukui City Morita Junior High School, he enrolled in the "Fukui Brave Boys" team. Initially playing primarily as a shortstop, he transitioned to catcher in his second year. During his third year of middle school, Kurihara was selected for the Boys League's Japan national team, gaining valuable experience through overseas tours.

After graduating from junior high, he attended Fukui Prefectural Harue Technical High School, whose director was a former classmate of his middle school team's manager. He quickly established himself, becoming the regular catcher in his first year of spring and the fourth batter by autumn. In the Autumn Fukui Prefectural Tournament, he hit a home run, though his team lost to Tsuruga Kehi High School. However, in the Hokushin'etsu Tournament, he achieved an impressive .651 batting average, leading his team to its first victory in the tournament. They subsequently reached the best four in the 43rd Meiji Jingu Baseball Championship. In his second year, Kurihara participated in the 85th Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament but was defeated in the first round by Tokoha Gakuen Kikukawa High School. In the Fukui Tournament of the 95th National High School Baseball Championship, his team lost in the final to Fukui Commercial High School. In his third year, he hit a crucial RBI and a game-winning sacrifice fly in the Spring Fukui Tournament final against Fukui University of Technology Fukui High School, securing the championship for his team. They advanced to the Hokushin'etsu Tournament, where they lost to Nihon Bunri High School in the semi-finals. In the Fukui Tournament of the 96th National High School Baseball Championship, his team suffered an 11-inning walk-off loss to Keishin High School in their first game (second round). Throughout his high school career, Kurihara hit a total of 26 home runs.

2.2. Pre-Professional Highlights

In 2014, Kurihara was selected for the Japan national baseball team to compete in the 2014 Asian Junior Baseball Championship held in Thailand. He served as both the captain and the starting catcher for the team. On October 23, 2014, during the 2014 Nippon Professional Baseball draft, he was drafted in the second round by the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. He agreed to a contract with an estimated signing bonus of 60.00 M JPY and an annual salary of 7.00 M JPY. His assigned uniform number upon joining the team was 31. His scout was Shogo Yamamoto.

3.1. 2015-2020 Seasons

In 2015, Kurihara played in 5 official minor league games in NPB's Western League and 64 games for the Hawks' third team, where he recorded a .270 batting average, 2 home homes, and 23 RBIs. The following year, 2016, saw him participate in 19 Western League games, achieving a .306 batting average, while also playing as a first baseman in addition to catcher. He played 28 games for the third team, with a .359 batting average, 2 home runs, and 16 RBIs. From November 25, he was selected for the NPB Western League All-Stars in the 2016 Asia Winter Baseball League in Taiwan, where he played 13 games, hitting .212 with one home run and 3 RBIs.

The 2017 season saw Kurihara compete for a spot on the top squad during spring training, though he did not make the opening day roster. However, his strong performance in the Western League, including a .301 batting average and accurate throws to prevent stolen bases, led to his first registration for the first team on June 11. He made his first team debut on June 13 against the Yomiuri Giants at Tokyo Dome as a pinch hitter. He was selected for the 2017 Japan Series roster but did not play. On July 13, he participated in the Fresh All-Star Game. On August 6, in a Western League game against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, he set a new Western League record by catching three base stealers in a single inning. He finished the season with 3 games played in the first team and 70 games in the second team, where he hit 3 home runs and 21 RBIs with a .271 batting average.

In February 2018, Kurihara dislocated his left shoulder during spring training, which delayed his return to active play. He was registered to the first team in August and recorded his first professional hit on September 5 against the Chiba Lotte Marines. On October 6, he made his first start as a catcher. He was again selected for the 2018 Japan Series roster and recorded a sacrifice bunt as a pinch hitter. In the offseason, his contract was renewed for an estimated 7.00 M JPY.

The 2019 season marked significant milestones. On April 13, he recorded his first professional RBI with a game-winning single against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. On July 8, he hit a walk-off sacrifice fly against the Saitama Seibu Lions in a high-scoring extra-inning game. To increase his playing opportunities, he began to practice and play as an outfielder. On July 23, he hit his first professional home run against the Chiba Lotte Marines. He was again selected for the 2019 Japan Series roster. His contract was renewed in the offseason for an estimated 10.00 M JPY.

The 2020 season was a breakout year for Kurihara. He made his first opening day start on June 19, batting second as a first baseman against the Chiba Lotte Marines. In that game, he recorded his first stolen base and hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning to secure the win. On July 25, he hit his first career grand slam against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. On August 11, he batted cleanup (4th) for the first time in his professional career against the Orix Buffaloes. On August 28, he hit his first multi-home run game and achieved double-digit home runs for the first time in his career, reaching 11 home runs. His consecutive starts streak ended at 84 games on September 26. For the regular season, he finished with a .243 batting average, 107 hits, 17 home runs (7th in the league), and 73 RBIs (4th in the league). He showed exceptional clutch hitting, batting .333 with runners in scoring position (5th in the league) and a .545 average with 15 RBIs in grand slam situations. He also recorded 6 sacrifice flies, tying for second in the league. In the 2020 Japan Series, he delivered a dominant performance, hitting a go-ahead two-run home run and a two-run double in Game 1. In Game 2, he went 4-for-5, tying a Japan Series record for most hits in a single game. After the Hawks swept the Yomiuri Giants, Kurihara was named the Japan Series MVP. In the offseason, he signed a new contract with an estimated annual salary of 44.00 M JPY.

3.2. 2021-2022 Seasons

The 2021 season saw Kurihara continue his strong performance, starting the season with a .319 batting average by May 2, ranking third in the league. On June 30, he hit his 10th home run of the season. Following Jurickson Profar's injury and the team's strategic offensive lineup adjustments, he frequently batted cleanup (4th) from June onwards. He was selected for his first Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star Game and made history in Game 2 on July 17 by becoming the first player in All-Star history to play four different positions in a single game: third baseman, left fielder, catcher, and first baseman. On October 24, he hit his 20th home run of the season, marking a new personal record. He played in all 143 regular season games, recording 247 total bases (third in the league), 77 RBIs (fifth), a .275 batting average, and 21 home runs. Defensively, he played both right and left field as well as third base. In the offseason, his uniform number was changed from 31 to 24, the number previously worn by the retired Yūya Hasegawa, and his defensive registration was officially changed from catcher to outfielder. His contract was renewed for an estimated annual salary of 80.00 M JPY.

The 2022 season began with Kurihara in excellent form, hitting .353 with two home runs and five RBIs in the first five games. However, on March 30, during a game against the Chiba Lotte Marines, he sustained a severe left knee injury in a collision with center fielder Seiji Uebayashi while playing left field. He was diagnosed with a suspected tear of the left anterior cruciate ligament and left lateral meniscus, with a recovery period estimated at six to seven months, effectively ending his season. On April 13, he underwent reconstructive surgery on his left anterior cruciate ligament and repair surgery on his left lateral meniscus. Although he did not return to play that season, he joined the team's fall training camp on October 30 for rehabilitation. In the offseason, his contract was adjusted to an estimated annual salary of 70.00 M JPY.

3.3. 2023-Present Seasons

In the 2023 season, Kurihara was appointed as the team's vice-captain, a role he had personally volunteered for. He made his return to professional play on opening day, March 31, against the Chiba Lotte Marines, starting as the third baseman. In that game, he hit a game-winning three-run home run. He followed this with home runs in two consecutive games. On April 11, he hit a walk-off sacrifice fly against the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. On April 27, he hit a grand slam against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, and on May 4, he hit a walk-off single against the Orix Buffaloes. On July 4, his 27th birthday, he hit his first career birthday home run, a two-run shot, against Hiroki Ito. However, on July 29, during a game against the Chiba Lotte Marines, the inflammation in his left knee, which he had injured the previous season, recurred, and he was removed from the roster for rehabilitation. He returned to the lineup on August 16, but during a game against the Chiba Lotte Marines on August 23, he fractured the hamate bone in his right hand after fouling off a pitch. This injury ended his season. On August 30, he underwent partial excision surgery on the hamate bone. He finished the regular season playing 96 games with a .239 batting average, 13 home runs, and 49 RBIs. In the offseason, his contract was renewed for an estimated annual salary of 63.00 M JPY.

For the 2024 season, Kurihara's defensive registration was again changed, this time from outfielder back to infielder. He initially struggled with his batting at the start of the season but found his form in May with the help of advice from teammates Hotaka Yamakawa and Kensuke Kondoh. On May 21, in a game against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, he recorded 4 hits, including 2 home runs, and 6 RBIs, contributing to a record-setting 21-run victory for the Hawks. For May, he achieved a .373 batting average, 3 home runs, and 16 RBIs, earning his first career Monthly MVP award. On June 5, he hit a go-ahead RBI single in the ninth inning against the Chunichi Dragons. Throughout the interleague season, he delivered four game-winning hits. On July 21, he hit a game-winning single against the Saitama Seibu Lions, helping the Hawks conclude the first half of the season with a 26-game lead. On September 15, he hit a game-winning RBI single in the 12th inning against the Orix Buffaloes. He hit a game-winning home run against the Orix Buffaloes on September 30 and another against the Chiba Lotte Marines on October 4. For September and October, he recorded a .320 batting average, 5 home runs, and 24 RBIs, earning his second Monthly MVP award of the season. After Yuki Yanagita's injury in late May, Kurihara consistently filled the crucial third batting spot, playing a pivotal role in the Hawks' league championship victory. He finished the season with a .273 batting average (fifth in the league), 87 RBIs, 144 hits, and 20 home runs, marking his first 20-homer season since 2021. He also recorded 40 doubles, tying the club record set by Kazuo Kasahara in 1948. He also participated in the 2024 Pacific League Climax Series, hitting a home run in Game 1 against the Nippon-Ham Fighters. Following his participation in the 2024 Japan Series, he was selected for the Japan national team roster for the 2024 WBSC Premier12. Kurihara won his first Golden Glove Award and Best Nine award for his performance as a third baseman in 2024. On December 20, he signed a new contract for an estimated annual salary of 150.00 M JPY.

8.1. Batting Statistics

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

8.2. Fielding Statistics

• Catcher Fielding**

• Infield Fielding**

• Outfield Fielding**

• Statistics as of 2024 season.
• Bold indicates league leader or Golden Glove Award year.

8.3. Olympic Batting Statistics

9.1. Firsts

• First appearance: June 13, 2017, against the Yomiuri Giants in a game at Tokyo Dome, as a pinch hitter for Takuya Kai in the 8th inning.
• First at-bat: June 13, 2017, against Tomoyuki Sugano of the Yomiuri Giants, resulting in a groundout to second base.
• First hit: September 5, 2018, against the Chiba Lotte Marines at ZOZO Marine Stadium, a single off Yuki Karakawa in the 6th inning.
• First start: October 6, 2018, against the Saitama Seibu Lions at Fukuoka Dome, starting as the 9th batter and catcher.
• First RBI: April 13, 2019, against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles at Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, a game-winning RBI single off Frank Herrmann in the 10th inning.
• First home run: July 23, 2019, against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Fukuoka Dome, a two-run home run off Yasuhiro Tanaka in the 8th inning.
• First stolen base: June 19, 2020, against the Chiba Lotte Marines at Fukuoka PayPay Dome, successfully stealing second base (pitcher: Jay Jackson, catcher: Tatsuhiro Tamura).

9.2. Other Records

• All-Star Game appearances: 3 times (2021, 2023, 2024).
  • In the 2021 All-Star Game 2 on July 17, Kurihara started as a first baseman and then changed positions to third baseman in the 4th inning, left fielder in the 7th, catcher in the 8th, and back to first baseman in the 9th. This marked the first time in All-Star Game history that a player covered four different defensive positions in a single game.
• Japan Series: Recorded 4 hits in a single Japan Series game, tying a series record (2020 Japan Series Game 2).
• Season Record: Recorded 40 doubles in the 2024 season, tying the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks franchise record set by Kazuo Kasahara in 1948.