Hayato Takagi

Hayato Takagi (高木 勇人)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 194 lbs.

• High School Kaisei High School

• Born July 13, 1989 in Tsu, Mie, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Hayato Takagi has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball for 5 years.

Takagi was drafted by the Yomiuri Giants in the third round of the 2014 NPB draft, and he soon joined the rotation as a rookie. He was the second rookie to win the April pitcher of the month award, following Kanei Kobayashi. Takagi was selected into the 2015 NPB All-Star Game, and relieved Shintaro Fujinami in the 7th inning of Game 1. He gave up a leadoff single to Luis Cruz, retired Katsuya Kakunaka and Kazuo Matsui then struck out Takuya Nakashima; Tetsuya Yamaguchi succeeded him. Takagi ended up 9-10 with a 3.19 ERA and ranked 6th in the Central League in strikeouts (90 behind Fujinami). He got 9 votes for the 2015 Central League Rookie of the Year Award, finishing third behind Yasuaki Yamasaki's 241 votes and Shunta Wakamatsu's 20.

The Mie native slumped to 5-9 with a 4.31 ERA in 2016, and the Giants sent him to the Gigantes de Carolina of the Puerto Rican Winter League after this season. He was 0-4 with a 2.50 ERA there. Takagi was a reliever in 2017, recording a 2.63 ERA in 16 appearances before he fractured his finger and missed the rest of the season. After this season, the Seibu Lions selected him as compensation for the loss of Ryoma Nogami. He only pitched 8 games with a 8.69 ERA in 2018, and struggled again in 2019 as he allowed 7 runs in 2 1/3 innings with the big club. The Lions released him after the 2019 season. Takagi pitched for the Kanagawa Future Dreams of the Baseball Challenge League from 2020 to 2021, then joined the Mexican League in 2022, going a combined 2-2 with a 7.07 ERA. He pitched for the Bravos de Leon and Rieleros de Aguascalientes in that season, then returned to Kanagawa team again in 2023.

Overall, Takagi was 16-23 with a 3.90 ERA, struck out 248 and pitched 330 innings in 14 years in NPB.

Takagi's repertoire featured a fastball that peaks at 95 mph, a curveball, forkball and a shuuto.