Yūya Ogō

1.1. Childhood and High School

Ogō began playing baseball at Kurashiki City Sho Elementary School. During his time at Kurashiki City Sho Junior High School, he was a member of the Fighters Okayama team. He later attended Kansai High School, where he quickly established himself, earning a regular position in the summer of his first year. By the autumn of his first year, he had settled into the role of second baseman and contributed to Kansai High School's victory in the Autumn Chugoku District High School Baseball Tournament.

In the 85th Memorial National High School Baseball Invitational Tournament, his team faced Kōchi High School, which featured Wataru Wada, and was defeated in the first round. In his third year of high school, Ogō became a central figure, batting cleanup and leading his team. They defeated Okayama Ridaifu High School, which included Yuma Dongu, in the final of the summer Okayama Tournament, securing a spot in the 96th National High School Baseball Championship. In the first round of the national championship, Kansai High School was defeated 1-3 by Toyama Commercial High School, led by pitcher Shunya Morita, with Ogō striking out twice. Throughout his high school career, Ogō participated in two Koshien tournaments, recording a batting average of .125 (1 hit in 8 at-bats). He finished his high school career with a total of 28 home runs. Despite submitting an application for the professional draft after high school, he was not selected. Notably, his teammates at Kansai High School included Yuto Koyashiyama, who was one year his senior, and Takashi Unno, who was one year his junior.

1.2. University Career

Following high school, Ogō enrolled at Rissho University and joined its baseball club. In the spring of his third year, he became a regular player, batting leadoff and playing right field. During this period, he played a crucial role in Rissho University's triumph in the Touto University 2nd Division League. The team then secured a victory in the promotion/relegation series against Senshu University, earning their return to the 1st Division after 15 seasons.

In the autumn of his third year, playing in the 1st Division for the first time, Ogō displayed exceptional performance, recording a .347 batting average, which was the second-highest in the league, and earned his first Best Nine award. In the autumn of his fourth year, he formed a powerful cleanup combination with Yukiya Ito. He concluded the season with a .293 batting average, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, and 6 stolen bases, securing his second Best Nine award and contributing to Rissho University's 1st Division championship, their first in 18 seasons.

His university career culminated in the 49th Meiji Jingu Baseball Tournament. In the championship game against International Pacific University, Rissho University was trailing by two runs in the eighth inning. Ogō delivered a timely hit that narrowed the deficit to one run, setting the stage for Ito's two-run home run that secured a come-from-behind victory and the national championship. Overall, in 35 games played in the 1st Division, Ogō maintained a .308 batting average (41 hits in 133 at-bats) with 5 home runs, 15 RBIs, and 16 stolen bases.

1.3. Professional Draft

Yuya Ogō was selected by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles as the seventh overall pick in the 2018 professional draft held on October 25, 2018. Following his selection, he signed a contract with the Golden Eagles for an estimated signing bonus of 27.00 M JPY and an annual salary of 7.00 M JPY. Upon joining the team, he was assigned jersey number 51.

2.1. 2019 Season

Ogō made his professional debut on May 19, 2019, when he was registered for the first team and appeared as a pinch-runner against the Chiba Lotte Marines. His first professional hit came on June 7 in a game against the Chunichi Dragons. On September 3, in an away game against the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, he hit his first professional home run in the eighth inning. This home run was particularly notable as it came immediately after a home run by fellow rookie Ryosuke Tatsumi, marking a rare instance of back-to-back home runs by rookies-only the second time this had occurred since 1989, when Yasuo Otaka and Koji Yamaguchi achieved the feat. Furthermore, Ogō's home run was the fourth by a rookie for the Golden Eagles in the 2019 season, a team record that had not been seen in 48 years since the 1971 Nishitetsu Lions, and only the second time since the introduction of the draft system. Despite this, his rookie season was limited to 22 games, where he recorded a .172 batting average, 1 home run, 4 RBIs, and no stolen bases. In the offseason, his contract was renewed for an estimated 7.30 M JPY, a raise of 300.00 K JPY.

2.2. 2020 Season

The 2020 season marked a significant step forward for Ogō, as he made the first team roster for opening day, a career first. Although he was occasionally sent down to the minor leagues, he significantly increased his playing opportunities in the latter half of the season due to improved batting performance. He finished the season having played in 58 games, with a batting average of .295, 4 home runs, 12 RBIs, and 8 stolen bases. His strong performance led to a contract renewal in the offseason, with his estimated annual salary increasing by 2.20 M JPY to 9.50 M JPY.

2.3. 2021-2022 Seasons

The 2021 and 2022 seasons presented challenges for Ogō as he sought to maintain his performance and secure a consistent role.

In 2021, Ogō was named to the opening day roster for the second consecutive year and achieved another career first by starting the opening game as the eighth batter and designated hitter. However, his batting performance struggled, leading to his removal from the first team roster on May 17. He was re-registered on October 2, but his overall performance for the season was limited to 38 games, where he recorded a .182 batting average, 2 home runs, and 6 RBIs. In the offseason, his contract was adjusted to an estimated 9.00 M JPY, a decrease of 500.00 K JPY.

In 2022, Ogō made the opening day roster for the third consecutive year, but he was removed on March 28. He was re-registered on August 26, and on September 2, in a game against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters at Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, he hit a go-ahead solo home run against Hiroaki Ito. However, he was removed from the roster again on September 7. This season marked his career low in appearances, playing in only 10 games, with a batting average of .167, 1 home run, and 2 RBIs. His offseason contract was set at an estimated 8.50 M JPY, a decrease of 500.00 K JPY.

2.4. 2023 Season

The 2023 season was a breakthrough year for Yuya Ogō, marking a significant return to form and establishing him as a core player for the Golden Eagles. For the fourth consecutive year, he made the opening day roster. Around June, he solidified his position as the third batter and right fielder, and for the first time in his professional career, he completed an entire season with the first team without being sent down to the minors.

Although he fell just two plate appearances short of qualifying for the official batting title, his overall performance was robust, achieving an OPS over .700. Notably, Ogō recorded 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases, making him one of only two players across both the Pacific and Central Leagues (the other being Shuta Tonosaki of the Saitama Seibu Lions) to achieve a "10-10" season, a rare feat with no players in the Central League reaching this milestone in 2023. He finished the season having played in 120 games, with a batting average of .262, 10 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 13 stolen bases. In the offseason, his strong performance was recognized with a substantial contract increase of 22.50 M JPY, bringing his estimated annual salary to 31.00 M JPY. During this period, Ogō expressed his ambition to achieve "triple double-digits" (e.g., 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 20 doubles) in future seasons and also articulated a desire to increase fan engagement.

2.5. 2024 Season

The 2024 season was a landmark year for Yuya Ogō, highlighted by numerous personal achievements and significant contributions to the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

On May 10, in a game against the Saitama Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome, Ogō achieved a career-first five-hit game, which also tied a team record for the most hits in a single game. This individual performance played a crucial role in the team's season-high 18 hits and 13 runs scored. During the interleague play segment of the season, Ogō delivered several clutch performances:

• On June 5, in a game against the Hanshin Tigers at Hanshin Koshien Stadium, he hit a game-tying two-run home run in the ninth inning with two outs and a runner on second base against pitcher Yuya Iwasaki.
• On June 8, against the Chunichi Dragons at Vantelin Dome Nagoya, he hit his first career grand slam in the second inning against Humberto Mejia. This grand slam was also recognized as the 2,500th grand slam in Nippon Professional Baseball history.
• On June 11, at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi, in a game against the Yomiuri Giants, Ogō delivered his first career walk-off hit, a game-winning two-run double in the ninth inning with two outs and the bases loaded, against pitcher Alberto Baldonado.

His contributions during interleague play, which included 2 home runs and 13 RBIs, were instrumental in the Golden Eagles securing their first interleague championship in franchise history. On July 12, Ogō was further recognized for his clutch performances, receiving the "Skymark! Sayonara Award" for the month of June.

By the end of the 2024 season, Ogō recorded a career-high 32 stolen bases, placing him second in the league behind Ukyo Shuto. He finished with a .257 batting average, 7 home runs, and 49 RBIs (matching his total from the previous year). Notably, three of his home runs were leadoff home runs in the first inning, all coming against the Nippon-Ham Fighters (one against Kenya Suzuki on April 25, and two against Shoma Kanemura on May 24 and September 16). Although his OPS of .694 was slightly lower than the previous year, Ogō achieved a significant and historic milestone by playing in every game of the season with full-inning participation. This was a first for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles as a franchise and made him the only player across all 12 NPB teams to accomplish this feat in the 2024 season.

4.1. Family and Relationships

Yuya Ogō's nickname among fans is "Ogo-chan." He has a younger brother, Kento Ogō, who is two years his junior and also pursued a baseball career, attending Kansai High School (like Yuya) and then Tokai University. In the summer of 2018, the brothers had a unique encounter during a practice game at the selection camp for the Japan-U.S. University Baseball Championship, where Kento, a pitcher, faced Yuya. Although Kento threw a fastball clocked at 96 mph ^{(155 km/h)}, he ultimately walked his older brother. Kento also submitted an application for the professional draft in the autumn of 2020 but was not selected. He continued his baseball career in industrial league baseball with JFE East Japan before retiring at the end of 2023 and transitioning into a managerial role within the team. On December 26, 2021, Yuya Ogō announced his marriage to a non-celebrity woman.

4.2. Public Persona and Interests

Ogō has expressed a deep connection to his walk-up music. After joining the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, he cherished the dream of having his own unique walk-up song played during his at-bats and personally requested one from the team's cheering squad. His wish was granted when he inherited the song "Eikou Tsukamu Tame Ni" (To Grab Glory), which had previously been used by former Golden Eagles player Shintaro Masuda. This song became his official walk-up music starting June 19, 2023. Ogō expressed immense joy and motivation from having the song, stating, "I'm so happy. It boosts my motivation when I step into the batter's box. I knew it was Masuda-san's cheering song. Since I'm using it, I'll work hard to perform well so that one day fans will call it 'Ogo's cheering song.'" From the 2024 season onward, Ogō began using an original walk-up song created specifically for him, though this new song also notably incorporates the inspiring phrase "Eikou Tsukamu."

5.1. Awards and Honors

• Skymark! Sayonara Award: 1 time (June 2024)
• Best Nine (University): 2 times (Autumn 3rd year, Autumn 4th year)

5.2. Career Milestones

• First appearance: May 19, 2019, against Chiba Lotte Marines at ZOZO Marine Stadium, as a pinch-runner for Naoto Watanabe in the 9th inning.
• First start: May 24, 2019, against Orix Buffaloes at Rakuten Seimei Park Miyagi, starting as the 8th batter and right fielder.
• First at-bat: May 24, 2019, against Orix Buffaloes, grounding out to second base against Taiyō Yamaoka in the 3rd inning.
• First hit: June 7, 2019, against Chunichi Dragons at Vantelin Dome Nagoya, an infield hit to second base off Yuya Yanagi in the 3rd inning.
• First RBI: June 7, 2019, against Chunichi Dragons, a timely double to left field off Hiroto Fukuda in the 8th inning.
• First home run: September 3, 2019, against Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Fukuoka PayPay Dome, a solo home run to right field off Rei Takahashi in the 8th inning.
• First stolen base: July 8, 2020, against Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at Fukuoka PayPay Dome, stealing second base (pitcher: Yuto Furuya, catcher: Ryuhei Kuki).

6.1. Batting Statistics

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

6.2. Fielding Statistics

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

7.1. Jersey Number

Yuya Ogō has consistently worn jersey number 51 throughout his professional career with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, starting from his rookie season in 2019.

7.2. Walk-up Songs

Yuya Ogō has used several songs as his walk-up music when coming to bat:

• 2019: "La La La" by Shakira
• 2020: "Hoshikage no Yell" by GReeeeN
• 2021-2022: "BEAUTIFUL DAYS" by SPYAIR
• 2023: "HIGH FIVE" by Yu Takahashi (This song was originally used by Shintaro Masuda and was inherited by Ogō from June 19, 2023.)
• 2024-present: An original song developed specifically for him, which continues to feature the phrase "Eikou Tsukamu" (To Grab Glory).