Ryo Yoshimoto

Ryo Yoshimoto
Yoshimoto in 2017
Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks – No. 77
Infielder / Coach
Born: (1980-05-08)May 8, 1980 Uki, Kumamoto, Japan
Batted: Right Threw: Right
NPB debut
September 30, 2001, for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks
Last appearance
July 3, 2010, for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows
NPB statistics (through 2011)
Batting average	.227
Hits	54
Home runs	1
Runs batted in	34
Stolen base	1
Teams
As player Fukuoka Daiei Hawks / Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (1999–2008) Tokyo Yakult Swallows (2009–2011) As coach Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2018–present)

Ryo Yoshimoto (吉本 亮, Yoshimoto Ryo, born May 8, 1980) is a Japanese former Nippon Professional Baseball infielder, and current second squad hitting coach for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).^[1] He previously played for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks and the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.^[2]

Early baseball career

Yoshimoto went on to Kyushu Gakuin High School, where he participated in the 80th Japanese High School Baseball Championship in the summer of his junior year with Hisashi Takayama, a year below him.^[3]

Professional career

Active player era

On November 20, 1998, Yoshimoto was drafted by the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks in the 1998 Nippon Professional Baseball draft.^[4]

He played only 95 games in his 10 seasons with the Hawks.^[5] And he became a free agent in the offseason of 2008 and moved to the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the 2009 season.^[6]

He played 54 games in three seasons with the Swallows but decided to retire as a free agent after the 2011 season.^[5][7]

Yoshimoto had a total of 149 games played as an active player with a .227 batting average, 54 hits, one home run, and 34 RBI.^[5]

After retirement

Yoshimoto served on the team operations staff of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks from the 2012-2017 season and became the hitting coach for the third squad in the 2018 season.^[4]

He has served as second squad hitting coach since the 2022 season, and the first squad hitting coach since the 2023 season.^[8]

On December 2, 2023, he was transferred to the second squad hitting coach.^[1]

References

1. "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks press release 2023/12/02 (土) プレスリリース 2024年 コーチングスタッフについて". Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site (in Japanese). December 2, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
2. "Ryo Yoshimoto". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
3. "Kyushu Gakuin News 同窓会のおしらせ S51(1999年卒）の同級生、末續慎吾氏・吉本亮氏が共に活躍！". Kyushu Gakuin Official site (in Japanese). October 26, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
4. "Nikkansports Sports baseball news ソフトバンク吉本３軍コーチ「しくじり先生」になる". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 11, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
5. "Weekly Baseball online player data Weekly Baseball 吉本亮(よしもとりょう)". Weekly Baseball online (in Japanese). Retrieved November 19, 2022.
6. "Nikkansports Sports baseball news ヤクルトが前中日森岡ら3選手の入団発表". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). December 5, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
7. "Sports Nippon baseball news ヤクルト 高市、吉本らに戦力外通告". Sports Nippon (in Japanese). October 9, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
8. "Nikkansports Sports baseball news 【ソフトバンク】吉本１軍打撃コーチ「ちょっともう異次元にいった」同郷の後輩「村神様」に脱帽". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). October 27, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022.

External links

• Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Career statistics - NPB.jp (in Japanese)
• 77 Ryo Yoshimoto PLAYERS2024 - Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks Official site