Chunichi Dragons Draft 1st pick / [Yumeto Kanemaru] Kansai University

profile

name:Yumeto Kanemaru
position:pitcher
Pitching/batting:Left-handed pitcher/batter
Birthplace:Hyogo Prefecture
date of birth:February 1, 2003
Height/Weight:177㎝/77kg
Biography:Koryo Elementary School - Koryo Junior High School - Shinko Tachibana High School - Kansai University

Characteristics as a player

He is a left-handed pitcher with a top speed of 154 km/h and a variety of pitches including a sharp splitter, a changeup with good braking, a slider, and a curveball. He is also known for his control, and has piled up a lot of strikeouts at Kansai University, where he is a member.

During his high school days, he was unknown and never made it to Koshien. After entering Kansai University, his talent blossomed and he quickly became a target for professional players.

In the spring of 2023, he injured his right knee. However, he took this opportunity to develop a form that allows him to use 100% of his power without any sense of force. As he himself said, "My pitch speed, quality, and control have all improved," and in the following game, he recorded his fastest pitch of 154 km/h.

He turned what would have been a crisis into an opportunity, and managed to turn professional. Expectations are building for how he will perform in the future.

Illustration by vaguely

Baseball career

Kanamaru was born in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, and started playing baseball when he was in the first grade at Koryo Elementary School. He was influenced by his father, Yuichi, who was a member of the Hyogo Prefectural High School Baseball Federation and served as an umpire at the Koshien tournament. He joined the softball club at his local Koryo Junior High School and gradually improved his skills.

Achievements during high school

He entered Shinko Tachibana High School, which boasts nine spring and eight summer appearances at Koshien. However, when he entered high school, he was only 150cm tall and weighed just under 50kg. Nevertheless, he made the bench in the fall of his first year, and in the summer of his second year, he was a relief pitcher in three of the four games at the Hyogo Prefectural Tournament. He pitched 13 1/3 innings, allowing only five hits and one run.

From the fall of his second year, he became the team's ace. By the time he was in his third year, he had grown rapidly to 172 cm tall, and his pitching speed gradually increased in proportion to his physique. In the summer of the same year, his pitching speed reached 142 km/h. However, the Koshien tournament that summer was canceled due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, in the Hyogo Prefecture-run tournament, he led his school to the top eight for the first time in 10 years.

Achievements during university

He entered Kansai University and made his debut in the fall of his first year. He hit a pitching speed of 151 km/h on his first appearance, attracting attention. In the spring league match of his second year, he struck out 17 batters against Doshisha University and pitched a shutout victory with no walks. He pitched in nine games in the league, posting an ERA of 0.33. He won the title of best ERA.

He became the team's ace pitcher in the fall of his second year. In the spring of his third year, he injured his right knee, which led him to change his form and further develop his game. In the fall of that year, he pitched in six games, finishing with a record of 6 wins and 0 losses and an ERA of 0.35, sweeping the MVP, Best Nine, and Best Pitcher awards and leading the team to victory.

In the spring of his fourth year, he was forced to pitch as a relief pitcher due to a back injury. However, from the fall of his third year to the fall of his fourth year, he recorded 72 consecutive innings without an earned run. He was also selected for the Samurai Japan team that played against Europe, and pitched two innings without allowing a run and striking out four batters.

Participation results

Samurai Japan's main achievements and individual records

Euro 2024 international matches:1 game (2 innings) ERA 0.00

Shinko Tachibana High School

Hyogo Summer 2018 Tournament:Lost in the third round
Hyogo Autumn 2018 Tournament:Lost in the first round
Spring 2019 Hyogo Tournament:Lost in the second round
Hyogo Summer 2019 Tournament:Lost in the fourth round
Hyogo Autumn 2019 Tournament:Lost in the second round
Spring 2020 Hyogo Tournament:cancel
Hyogo Tournament in Summer 2020 (unique tournament):Top 8

Kansai University days

2021 Spring League:5th place / no appearances
2021 Fall League:Winners/4 games (14 innings, 1 win, 1 loss/ERA 1.93/21 strikeouts)
2022 Spring League:3rd place/9 games (27 innings, 3 wins, 1 loss/ERA 0.33/39 strikeouts/best ERA)
2022 Fall League:Winners/8 games (54 innings, 6 wins, 0 losses/ERA 1.33/46 strikeouts MVP/Best Nine)
2023 Spring League:2nd place/6 games (39 2/3 innings, 3 wins, 0 losses/ERA 1.82/62 strikeouts)
2023 Fall League:Winner/6 games (51 innings, 6 wins, 0 losses, ERA 0.35/74 strikeouts, MVP/Best Nine/Best Pitcher)
2024 Spring League:5th place/6 games (39 innings, 1 win, 1 loss/ERA 0.00/52 strikeouts/Best Nine)
2024 Fall League:4th place/10 games (15 innings, 0 wins, 0 losses, ERA 0.00/18 strikeouts)

*The information in this article is current as of the time of publication (as of November 2024).