1. Overview
Yukiya Yokoyama (横山 道哉Yokoyama YukiyaJapanese, born June 1, 1977) is a former Japanese professional baseball pitcher and current scout for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. Born in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokoyama was known for his significant contributions as a relief pitcher during his professional career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). His career, spanning from 1997 to 2009, included key roles in a Japan Series championship, an individual award for his excellence in relief pitching, and a notable nickname. After retiring as a player, he transitioned into roles within the Yokohama DeNA BayStars organization, continuing his involvement in the sport.
2. Early life and amateur career
Yukiya Yokoyama's baseball journey began during his middle school years, where he played for the 愛甲シニアAikō SeniorJapanese team. He later attended Yokohama High School, a prominent institution known for its baseball program. During his time at Yokohama High, he was teammates with several future professional players. His seniors by one year included Yoshiki Saito, Hitoshi Tamura, Eiji Yano, and Shoichi Kida, while Koshin Takahashi was two years his senior. Among his juniors were Masahiro Abe, Kosuke Matsui, and Kenji Makita (one year his junior), and Yusuke Kamiji (two years his junior). Following his successful amateur career, Yokoyama was selected by his hometown team, the Yokohama BayStars, in the third round of the 1995 draft conference.
3. Professional career
Yukiya Yokoyama's professional career as a pitcher saw him play for two teams in Nippon Professional Baseball, the Yokohama BayStars and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, over a span of 12 seasons. Initially making an impact as a versatile relief pitcher, he later excelled as a closer before returning to a relief role.
3.1. Yokohama BayStars (First Stint)
Yokoyama began his professional career with the Yokohama BayStars in 1997. His debut came on July 6, 1997, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Yokohama Stadium, where he entered as the fifth reliever in the 8th inning. He completed two scoreless innings, and the team subsequently secured a walk-off victory, earning him his first professional win. Later in the season, he also recorded his first professional start on September 17 against the Yomiuri Giants and his first save on October 8 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Hiroshima Municipal Stadium.
In 1998, Yokoyama became a crucial part of the BayStars' bullpen, appearing in 53 games as a middle reliever. He recorded 4 wins and 4 losses with an ERA of 3.09, contributing significantly to Yokohama's Central League championship and Japan Series title, their first in 38 years. His pitching style, particularly his effective forkball, drew comparisons to then-BayStars closer Kazuhiro Sasaki, earning Yokoyama the nicknames "Komajin" (小魔神Little DevilJapanese) and "Daimajin Nisei" (大魔神二世Great Devil's Second GenerationJapanese).
However, his performance began to fluctuate in subsequent years. In 1999, when Sasaki was sidelined during the season, Yokoyama was among the relievers who shared closing duties. Although he appeared in 43 games, his stability wavered, finishing with 4 wins, 3 losses, 2 saves, and an ERA of 4.93. His appearances further decreased in 2000, with only 29 games, 2 wins, 1 loss, 1 save, and an ERA of 4.78. From 2001 to 2003, his performance continued to decline, leading to a drastic reduction in his playing time. At the end of the 2003 season, he was traded to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in exchange for Shingo Nonaka.
3.2. Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
Upon joining the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2004, Yokoyama unexpectedly stepped into the role of closer. This opportunity arose due to pre-season injuries to Yoshinori Tateyama and Masashi Date, who were initially slated for the closer position, and an early-season injury to Tsuyoshi Ito, who had taken over at the start of the season. Despite a somewhat inconsistent season, Yokoyama appeared in a team-high 58 games, recording 4 wins, 5 losses, and 28 saves, with an ERA of 3.39. His performance earned him the Best Reliever Award, which he shared with Koji Mise. That year, the Pacific League introduced a playoff system, and the Fighters finished third. In the 2004 Pacific League playoffs, they faced the second-place Saitama Seibu Lions. Yokoyama recorded a save in Game 2. In Game 3, he entered in the 8th inning with his team trailing by two runs, holding the Lions scoreless. However, in the 9th inning, he surrendered a walk-off home run to Kazuhiro Wada, resulting in a loss for the Fighters and their elimination from the playoffs.
In 2005, Yokoyama started the season as the closer once more and pitched effectively early on. However, he encountered a slump starting in July and was demoted to a middle relief role. His struggles continued into September, leading to his demotion to the ni-gun (minor league) team for the remainder of the season. He appeared in 48 games, again leading the team, but finished with 1 win, 4 losses, 12 saves, and an ERA of 4.47.
By 2006, his salary was reduced to an estimated 43.00 M JPY. That year, he made no appearances for the ichi-gun (first team), largely due to the strong performances of fellow relievers Hisashi Takeda and Micheal Nakamura. On September 29, he was released by the Fighters. He subsequently underwent a tryout with his former team, the Yokohama BayStars. The announcement of his re-signing was initially delayed due to a complaint from the Nippon Professional Baseball Players Association regarding teams holding independent tryouts before the official 12-team joint tryout. However, his return to Yokohama was eventually formalized, marking his second stint with the BayStars after a four-year absence.
3.3. Yokohama BayStars (Second Stint)
Returning to the Yokohama BayStars in 2007, Yokoyama started the season with the ni-gun team but was promoted to the ichi-gun during the summer. Despite battling an elbow injury, he served as a valuable middle reliever, appearing in 36 games and recording 6 holds with an ERA of 3.32, marking a resurgence in his career with his former club.
In 2008, he continued to be a key component of the BayStars' bullpen, making a team-high 51 appearances. On May 17, against the Chunichi Dragons, he earned his first win since returning to Yokohama, and his first victory in three years. His season ERA improved to 3.22. However, he struggled in tied situations, conceding lead-changing runs and accumulating 5 losses.
The 2009 season saw a significant worsening of his elbow condition, which severely limited his ability to pitch. He spent most of the season in the ni-gun, making only 14 appearances for the first team. On October 1, he received a release notification and subsequently announced his retirement from professional baseball, expressing contentment that he was able to end his career with the Yokohama BayStars.
4. After retirement
Following his retirement as a professional baseball player, Yukiya Yokoyama remained affiliated with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars organization. Starting in 2010, he transitioned into the role of a scorer, also known as an analyst, for the team. This position allowed him to continue contributing to the club's strategy and player development from behind the scenes. In 2022, Yokoyama made another career shift within the organization, taking on the role of a scout. One notable player he was involved in scouting is Ryuki Watrai, an outfielder who was later drafted by the BayStars. Interestingly, Watrai went on to inherit Yokoyama's personal cheering song, a unique tribute to his scout and high school senior.
5. Personal aspects
During his time as a player for the Yokohama BayStars, Yukiya Yokoyama notably had a dedicated personal cheering song, a rarity for a pitcher. Although his theme was included in player theme CDs released since 1998, it was seldom performed live at games because pitchers, especially relievers, rarely had their songs played in the stadium. This limited the opportunities for his unique theme to be heard during his playing days.
However, this personal connection to the fans saw an unexpected revival in 2024. Ryuki Watrai, a player whom Yokoyama scouted and who also happened to be a junior from his alma mater, Yokohama High School, joined the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. As a tribute, Watrai inherited Yokoyama's original cheering song, with some minor lyrical modifications, ensuring its continued legacy within the team's fan culture.
6. Career statistics and records
Yukiya Yokoyama's professional baseball career spanned 12 seasons, during which he accumulated various statistics, titles, awards, and notable records. The following sections provide a comprehensive overview of his performance and achievements.
6.1. Annual pitching statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | W | L | HLD | WPCT | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | HBP | SO | BK | WP | R | ER | ERA | WHIP | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Yokohama | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -- | 1.000 | 105 | 27.0 | 20 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 1.67 | 0.96 | |
| 1998 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | -- | .500 | 286 | 70.0 | 62 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 24 | 3.09 | 1.20 | |
| 1999 | 43 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | -- | .571 | 298 | 69.1 | 77 | 12 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 57 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 38 | 4.93 | 1.38 | |
| 2000 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | -- | .667 | 143 | 32.0 | 40 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 17 | 4.78 | 1.72 | |
| 2001 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -- | .--- | 27 | 6.1 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4.26 | 1.42 | |
| 2002 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | -- | .333 | 58 | 12.1 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 4.38 | 1.46 | |
| 2003 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | -- | .000 | 48 | 9.0 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 10.00 | 2.33 | |
| 2004 | Nippon-Ham | 58 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 28 | -- | .444 | 248 | 61.0 | 48 | 5 | 20 | 4 | 0 | 54 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 23 | 3.39 | 1.11 |
| 2005 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 3 | .200 | 225 | 50.1 | 49 | 5 | 21 | 0 | 4 | 46 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 25 | 4.47 | 1.39 | |
| 2007 | Yokohama | 36 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | .--- | 164 | 38.0 | 40 | 2 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 3.32 | 1.45 |
| 2008 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 11 | .375 | 254 | 58.2 | 55 | 8 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 61 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 21 | 3.22 | 1.31 | |
| 2009 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .--- | 66 | 15.0 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 4.80 | 1.53 | |
| Career (12 years) | 370 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 26 | 45 | 20 | .447 | 1922 | 449.0 | 443 | 49 | 159 | 15 | 16 | 387 | 21 | 2 | 213 | 194 | 3.89 | 1.34 | |
- Bold numbers indicate league-leading statistics for that year.
6.2. Titles and awards
- Best Reliever Award: 1 time (2004)
- JA Zen-Noh Go-Go Award: 1 time (Relief Award: July 2004)
6.3. Notable records
- First appearance and first win: July 6, 1997, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Yokohama Stadium. He entered as the fifth reliever in the 8th inning, completed the game, and pitched 2 scoreless innings.
- First strikeout: July 6, 1997, against Tomonori Maeda in the 8th inning.
- First starting appearance: September 17, 1997, against the Yomiuri Giants at Yokohama Stadium, pitching 2 innings and giving up 1 run.
- First save: October 8, 1997, against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp at Hiroshima Municipal Stadium. He entered as the third reliever in the 9th inning, completed the game, and pitched 1 scoreless inning.
- First hold: May 7, 2005, against the Hanshin Tigers at Sapporo Dome. He entered as the fifth reliever in the 9th inning and pitched 3 scoreless innings.
- All-Star Game appearances: 1 time (2004).
6.4. Uniform numbers
- 43 (1996-2003) - Yokohama BayStars
- 15 (2004-2006) - Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
- 99 (2007-2009) - Yokohama BayStars