Kōta Ishibashi Explained

Kōta Ishibashi 石橋康太
Position:	Catcher
Team:	Chunichi Dragons
Number:	58
Bats:	Right
Throws:	Right
Birth Date:	7 December 2000
Birth Place:	Yotsukaidō, Chiba, Japan
Debutdate:	7 July
Debutyear:	2019
Debutteam:	Chunichi Dragons
Statyear:	2020 season
Stat1label:	Batting average
Stat1value:	.059
Stat2label:	Home runs
Stat2value:	0
Stat3label:	RBI
Stat3value:	2
Teams:	Chunichi Dragons (–present)

is a professional Japanese baseball player. He plays catcher for the Chunichi Dragons.

Ishibashi was widely regarded as the top high school aged catcher available at the 2018 NPB Draft.^[1]

Early career

On 25 October 2018, Ishibashi was selected as the 4th draft pick for the Chunichi Dragons at the 2018 NPB Draft and on 21 November signed a provisional contract with a ¥40,000,000 sign-on bonus and a ¥6,000,000 yearly salary.^[2]

Professional career

2019

On 7 July, Ishibashi made his professional debut as a pinch-hitter for Yuya Yanagi against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.^[3] Ishibashi's debut marked the first time since Yasuhiko Kawai 1952 that a Dragons catcher, fresh out of high school had debuted in their first year^[4] and the first time since the draft was introduced.^[5] Two days later Ishibashi started against the Hiroshima Carp at Nagoya Dome with fellow teenager Tatsuya Shimizu on the mound.^[6]

Playing style

Ishibashi can long throw up to 115 metres,^[7] has a pop-time of 1.9 seconds^[8] and can bat for power.

Personal

Ishibashi considers Tokyo Yakult Swallows former catcher and manager, Atsuya Furuta along with hall of fame inductee Katsuya Nomura as his inspirations having read many of their books on catching.^[9]

External links

Dragons.jp

Notes and References

News: 気になる有力選手と隠し玉候補は？西尾×小関×福田ドラフト鼎談 . Matsunaga . Kinya . 2018-10-04 . Yahoo! Sports Navi . 2019-01-08 . ja . What are the talented and diamond in the rough player of interest? Nishio, Kozono, Fukuda.
News: ４位・石橋、「勝てる捕手」目標 . 2018-11-21 . Chunichi Sports . 2019-01-08 . ja .
1. 4 Ishibashi Aims to be a "winning catcher"
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News: 中日石橋康太がデビュー . 2019-07-07 . Baseball Online . 2020-02-27 . ja . Chunichi's Kota Ishibashi debuts.
News: 【中日】ドラフト４位・石橋が初の１軍昇格へ開幕マスクの加藤が２軍降格 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190707133154/https://hochi.news/articles/20190706-OHT1T50335.html . dead . 2019-07-07 . 2019-07-07 . Sports Hochi . 2020-02-27 . ja . [Chunichi] Draft #4 Ishibashi promoted to first team for first time; opening day catcher Kato sent down..
News: 中日"ドラ4"18歳石橋、初昇格即代打で珍デビュー！与田監督「プロ初打席の死球…あまり記憶にない」― スポニチ Sponichi Annex 野球 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190707132940/https://www.sponichi.co.jp/baseball/news/2019/07/07/kiji/20190707s00001173378000c.html . dead . 2019-07-07 . 2019-07-07 . Sponichi . 2020-02-27 . ja . Chunichi's #4 draft pick, 18 y/o Ishibashi, pinch-hitting debut directly after promotion! Manager Yoda "Fist BA was a HBP, not much to remember".
News: 中日「10代バッテリー」で勝負清水－石橋康太 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190709094246/https://www.nikkansports.com/baseball/news/201907090000770.html . dead . 2019-07-09 . 2019-07-09 . Nikkan Sports . 2020-02-27 . ja . Chunichi fights on with a "Teenage battery" Shimizu-Kota Ishibashi.
News: ４位新人・石橋が１軍練習参加へ正捕手候補を首脳陣徹底チェック . https://web.archive.org/web/20190707133655/https://www.chunichi.co.jp/chuspo/article/dragons/news/201906/CK2019062502000105.html . dead . 2019-07-07 . 2019-07-07 . Chunichi Sports . 2020-02-27 . ja .
1. 4 Rookie Ishibashi participates in 1-gun training. Management checking on full-time catcher options
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News: 中日ドラフト４位の関東第一・石橋に指名あいさつ球を受けてみたい投手は「松坂さん」 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190707133852/https://www.sponichi.co.jp/baseball/news/2018/10/30/kiji/20181030s00001173216000c.html . dead . 2019-07-07 . 2019-07-07 . Sponichi . 2020-02-27 . ja . Chunichi #4 pick, Kanto Daiichi's Ishibashi has selection greeting says he'd like to catch for "Matsuzaka-san".
News: ４位・石橋、日本一の捕手目指すノムさん＆古田本でプロの配球術 . 2018-11-21 . Chunichi Sports . 2019-01-08 . ja .
1. 4 Ishibashi, Aims to be Japan series winning catcher; learning techniques of pro catching from Nomu-chan and Furuta's books.
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