Ryoma Matsuda

Ryōma Matsuda (松田 遼馬, Matsuda Ryōma, born February 08, 1994 in Shimabara, Nagasaki) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hanshin Tigers and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Ryoma Matsuda
Pitcher
Born: (1994-02-08) February 8, 1994
Shimabara, Nagasaki
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
July 13, 2013, for the Hanshin Tigers
Last NPB appearance
September 28, 2019, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Win–loss record8-10
ERA4.03
Holds19
Saves0
Strikeouts185
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Career

Amateur career

Ryoma started playing softball in second grade with the Sugitani Tortoise team, then went on to pitch for the Daiichi Junior High's softball club in Shimabara City. When the time came to choose high schools, instead of going to Seihō High School, a known baseball powerhouse in Nagasaki, he opted to go to Hasami High School instead, for the reason that he wanted to reach the Koshien using his own abilities.[1]

During his junior year, his team joined the 83rd Spring Koshien, where they defeated Yokohama High School in the first round (score: 5-1), but were eliminated when they lost to Hyōgo Prefecture's Kakogawa Kita Koutō High in the next (0-2).[2] The next summer, his team also participated in the Summer Koshien but were again eliminated in the second round by Seiryo High (1-5).

Hanshin Tigers

In October 27, 2011, he was chosen as the Hanshin Tigers 5th pick in the 2011 NPB draft.[3] In November 29, he signed with the Tigers for an estimated 5.2 million yen annual salary and a 30 million yen signing bonus. He was assigned the jersey number 56.[4]。

In 2012, Matsuda played his first game on April 21, in a Western League match against the Carps. On July 23, he was promoted to the first squad together with Hiroaki Saiuchi, Iwamoto Akira, and Hirokazu Shiranita, but still did not appear in any official game.[5][6] For the entire season, he went 3-2 in 8 Western League games, with an ERA of 3.86. When the season ended, his aptitude as a closer became more apparent,[7] and was chosen as the fall camp's MVP.[8]

In 2013, Before the season started, he was assigned to train in the ichi-gun camp as a potential closer.[9] However, just before the camp ended, he experienced pain and tension in his right shoulder, prompting him to be sent to rehab until mid-May when he was finally able to rejoin practices in ni-gun.[10]

He debuted during the July 13 match with the BayStars in Koshien, where he pitched one shutout inning in relief.[11] Since then, he pitched 18 scoreless innings in 17 appearances without surrendering an earned run, until Hisayoshi Chono hit a walk-off homer from him on the 10th inning of the August 29 game. This was also his first career loss.[12] Prior to that however, he earned his first hold on August 8 match with Hiroshima.[13] Even after his first earned run, he managed to maintain an ERA below 1.0, until he gave away 5 more, 3 of which were home runs, in the 2/3 inning that he pitched in September 8.[14] He was taken off the active roster afterwards, but was registered again on the 21st. On October 4, he pitched in the 10th and 11th inning during the match against Yakult, and earned his first win when Toritani scored a hit from an error in the 12th.

He pitched in a total of 27 games, and finished the season with a single win, 2 losses, and a 4.25 ERA.

During postseason, he was the sole Hanshin player selected to join the Samurai Japan roster and participate in a 3-game series against Chinese Taipei.[15] He contributed to Japan's victory (4-2) on the November 9 game by striking out 2 batters in the 7th inning, throwing his fastest at 151 km/h.[16]

In 2014, During spring camp in mid-February, he was taken to a hospital after practices after he started feeling discomfort in his right elbow.[17] He underwent rehabilitation, and only managed to return to practices in May. For several more months, he trained with the second squad until he appeared in his first official match on September 19 vs. the Chunichi Dragons.[18]

He only appeared in 6 games during the season, but helped the Tigers sweep the Giants by pitching 2 shutout innings in relief in games 3 & 4 of the Climax Series.

In 2015, Matsuda started the year with a blast when he pitched in relief during the season opener with the Dragons. With the game tied at 4-4, he pitched a shutout 10th inning and recorded the win when Matt Murton successfully hit the tiebreaker, and the Tigers notched their first victory for the season, and their first walk-off win in 74 years.[19] He again held the 10th inning scoreless on the next day, and once again, the Tigers scored on a deadball pitch to Sekimoto, and became the 8th team in NPB history to win back-to-back walk-off victories in their first two games of the season. With this, Matsuda became the 6th pitcher in NPB to record 2 wins in the season opening card (2nd Tigers pitcher since Fujimura Takao in 1953), and the 3rd pitcher (first in franchise history) to record the victories on back-to-back days.[20]

In 2016 season, he returned from July due to the pain in his right shoulder. he finished the regular season with a 22 Games pitched a 1–0 Win–loss record, a 1.00 ERA, a one Holds, a 26 strikeouts in 27 innings.

In 2017 season, he finished the regular season with a 26 Games pitched a 1–2 Win–loss record, a 5.05 ERA, a one Holds, a 33 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

On July 26, 2018, Matsuda moved to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks on an exchange trade with Yuya Iida.[21]

In 2019 season, he finished the regular season a 51 Games pitched as a relief pitcher with a 2–4 Win–loss record, a 3.81 ERA, a 5 Holds, a 57 strikeouts in 52 innings.

On December 2, 2020, Matsuda become a free agent.[22] On December 30, 2020, he announced his retirement.[23]

Playing style

With a three-quarter delivery, his pitches are clocked at an average 145 km/h,[24] his fastest being a 152 km/h fastball. Breaking balls that are up his arsenal are sliders, slow curves and the occasional change-ups.[2] Although he has the confidence to throw sharp inside pitches, he has yet to improve on his stability and control.[25]

References
  1. "170球完投横浜斬り!波佐見の遼馬 目標は全国制覇". スポニチ Sponichi Annex. 2011-03-25. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
  2. デイリースポーツ 2011年10月28日号 12版B
  3. "阪神タイガース 選択選手一覧". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  4. "阪神、ドラフト5位・松田と入団合意". SANSPO.COM. 2011-11-29. Archived from the original on 2011-12-03. Retrieved 2011-11-29.
  5. "歳内ら若虎4投手が球宴期間中練習に1軍合流". Daily Sports. 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2012-10-26.
  6. 長友孝輔 (2012-07-24). "阪神D2位・歳内、あるぞ！8･5先発". Sankei Sports. Archived from the original on 2012-08-09. Retrieved 2012-10-26.
  7. "阪神　ポスト球児養成にルーキー松田". =Nikkan Sports. 2012-11-20. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  8. 池本泰尚 (2012-11-20). "阪神松田来春1軍Cも　秋季CでMVP". =Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  9. 西本忠成 (2013-01-27). "異例!もう1人の抜擢人事　松田は抑え、久保の"保険"!?". zakzak. Archived from the original on 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  10. 山本大地 (2013-07-14). "「ポスト球児」阪神松田0封デビュー". Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  11. "虎・松田、初登板で1回0封！MAX149キロ". Sankei Sports. 2013-07-14. Archived from the original on 2013-07-17. Retrieved 2013-07-16.
  12. "【阪神】松田がプロ初被弾でプロ初黒星". 日刊スポーツ. 2013-08-29. Retrieved 2013-08-29.
  13. 長友孝輔 (2013-08-09). "遼馬3連続K斬り!虎投手陣11回6人完封リレー". Sankei Sports. Archived from the original on 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2013-08-09.
  14. 近間康隆 (2013-09-09). "阪神松田3被弾5失点で2軍落ち". Nikkan Sports. Retrieved 2013-09-09.
  15. "阪神松田、虎唯一の選出で「侍」守護神へ". 日刊スポーツ. 2013-10-29.
  16. "小久保ジャパン連勝!虎の遼馬、自己最速151キロデビュー". Sankei Sports (サンケイスポーツ). 2013-11-10.
  17. "阪神・松田、第5クールから安芸キャンプに参加予定". Sankei Sports (サンケイスポーツ). 2014-02-22.
  18. "阪神・松田が今季初登板　九回を三者凡退で締め"完全復活]". Sankei Sports (サンケイスポーツ). 2014-09-19. Archived from the original on 2014-12-04.
  19. "阪神、球団７４年ぶり開幕サヨナラ勝ち！マートン延長１０回劇打". Sports Nippon. 2015-03-28.
  20. "松田６２年ぶり快挙！虎２人目開幕２戦２勝、２日連続は史上初". Sports Nippon. 2015-03-29.
  21. "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンク飯田優也と阪神松田遼馬のトレード合意". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). July 26, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2019.
  22. "2020年度 自由契約選手". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  23. "ソフトバンク戦力外の松田遼馬が現役引退「9年間プロ野球という舞台で野球ができた」". Full-Count (in Japanese). December 30, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  24. 2014 プロ野球オール写真選手名鑑. 日本スポーツ企画出版社. 2014. pp. 126頁. ISBN 978-4-905411-17-8.
  25. "【阪神5位】松田遼馬　強気の内角攻めは圧巻 粗削りも度胸は満点". Sponichi Annex (スポニチ). 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2012-05-18.
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