Sho Nakata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sho Nakata |
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Nakata with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
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| Chunichi Dragons – No. 6 | |||
| First baseman, Outfielder | |||
| Born: April 22, 1989 Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan |
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| debut | |||
| May 23, 2009, for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters | |||
| NPB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .249 | ||
| Hits | 1,569 | ||
| Home runs | 307 | ||
| Runs batted in | 1,083 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Sho Nakata (中田 翔, Nakata Shō, born April 22, 1989, in Hiroshima), nicknamed "Sho Time", is a Japanese professional baseball player. He plays for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan's top baseball league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Before joining the Dragons, he played for the Yomiuri Giants and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He is a versatile player, playing both outfield and first base.
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Sho Nakata's Baseball Journey
Early Days in High School Baseball
Sho Nakata started his baseball journey as a pitcher in high school. He attended Osaka Toin High School. His fastball was very fast, reaching speeds of about 94 miles per hour!
In 2006, he played in Japan's big high school baseball tournament, the National High School Baseball Championship. He was a strong player, but his team was defeated in his second game.
Nakata was a very exciting player even in high school. He hit an amazing 87 home runs during his high school career, which was a record in Japan. One of his home runs was estimated to have traveled 550 feet! This was much farther than the old park record. Many teams from other countries, like the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners, were interested in him. However, Nakata chose to stay in Japan to play professional baseball.
Playing for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
In 2007, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters chose Sho Nakata as their first pick in the draft. He was given the number 6 jersey, which was a special number for the team.
When he first started with the Fighters in 2008, he needed more practice. He was sent to a minor league team to improve his skills. He did well there, hitting 11 home runs.
In 2009, Nakata continued to shine in the minor leagues. He tied a record for runs batted in (RBI) and set a new record for home runs with 30! He also played in 22 official games for the Fighters. He got his first hit in professional baseball on May 23.
In 2010, Nakata started playing in the outfield. He hit his first NPB home run on July 20. He was considered for the Rookie of the Year Award that year.
By 2011, Nakata became a regular player for the Fighters. He hit 18 home runs and had 91 RBI. He was one of the top players in the Pacific League for many stats. He was especially good at hitting doubles and driving in runs.
Sho Nakata became the first Fighters player to hit at least 20 home runs for three years in a row since Michihiro Ogasawara. He and another talented player, Shohei Ohtani, were called the "O-N tandem of the Heisei Era." This was a reference to two legendary players, Sadaharu Oh and Shigeo Nagashima.
In 2016, Nakata was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the Pacific League Climax Series. This is a big award given to the best player in the playoff series. He was also chosen to play in the NPB All-Star game in 2018.
In August 2021, Nakata faced a team rule violation.
Moving to the Yomiuri Giants
After the team rule violation, Sho Nakata was traded to the Yomiuri Giants on August 20, 2021. This trade allowed him to continue playing. He played for the Giants until 2023.
Joining the Chunichi Dragons
On December 3, 2023, it was announced that Sho Nakata signed a two-year contract with the Chunichi Dragons. He is currently playing for them.
Playing for Japan: International Baseball
Sho Nakata has proudly represented the Japan national baseball team in many international competitions. He played in:
- The 2013 World Baseball Classic
- Exhibition games against Chinese Taipei in 2013
- The 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series
- Exhibition games against Europe in 2015
- The 2015 WBSC Premier12 tournament
- The 2017 World Baseball Classic
