Takuya Kinoshita
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| Takuya Kinoshita | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chunichi Dragons – No. 35 | |
| Catcher | |
| Born: December 18, 1991 Kochi City, Kochi, Japan | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| debut | |
| 5 August, 2016, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
| Career statistics (through 2024 season) | |
| Batting average | .246 |
| Hits | 415 |
| Home runs | 35 |
| RBI | 174 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Takuya Kinoshita (木下 拓哉, Kinoshita Takuya; born December 18, 1991) is a Japanese professional baseball catcher for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
In Spring of his second year at Kochi High School, Kinoshita solidified himself as starting catcher for the team and in his 2nd and 3rd year he appeared with the school at the summer koshien.[1]
He attended Hosei University in Tokyo and in his third year was selected alongside future Chunichi Dragons team-mate Shota Sugiyama as catcher in the best 9 of the Autumn 2012 Tokyo Big6 Baseball League.[2] While at Hosei University, he formed a battery with current Yokohama DeNA Baystars pitchers Kenta Ishida and Kazuki Mishima.[1]
Upon graduation, Kinoshita was picked up by Toyota Motors where in his first year with the industrial league team, he helped them to victory in the 2014 All-Japan Amateur Baseball Tournament.[3]
At the 2015 NPB Draft, he was selected as the third pick for the Chunichi Dragons and on 4 December 2015, signed a contract for ¥10,000,000 per year with a ¥65,000,000 sign-on bonus.[3] Kinoshita was given the number 35 upon joining the Dragons.[4]