Hiroshi Kaino

Hiroshi Kaino (甲斐野 央)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 189 lb.

• School Toyo University
• High School Toyo University Himeji High School

• Born November 16, 1996 in Nishiwaki, Hyogo Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Hiroshi Kaino has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball and for the Japanese national team.

Kaino starred for Japan in the 2018 Haarlem Baseball Week; in six games for the champs, he was 1-0 (beating Taiwan) with 19 K in 11 IP (5 H, 1 BB), posting a 0.00 ERA. He did not lead the event in ERA (Orlando Yntema had a 0.00 in 13 2/3 IP) and made the leaderboard in opponent average (.147, 3rd, behind Luis Lugo and Rob Cordemans), strikeouts (2nd, one behind Lugo), saves (2, 1st) and games pitched (6, tied Hiromi Ito for 1st). His fastball was timed at 98 mph that year. The Softbank Hawks took him in the first round of the 2018 NPB draft after the team lost the lottery for the rights to Kaito Kozono and Ryosuke Tatsumi.

The right-hander was 2-5 with 8 saves and a 4.14 ERA in 2019, fanning 73 in 58 2/3 IP but walking 34. He tied Tatsushi Masuda and Taisho Tamai for 3rd in the Pacific League in games pitched (65). He was the runner-up to teammate Rei Takahashi for the 2019 PL Rookie of the Year. In the 2019 Japan Series, he fanned 6 and allowed one run in three innings over three games as Softbank swept the Yomiuri Giants. He tied Rick van den Hurk for the team lead in Ks in the Series and only Yuito Mori pitched more games.

The Nishiwaki native was picked for Japan's team for the 2019 Premier 12. In his debut, he relieved Kota Nakagawa in the 8th with a 4-2 deficit against Venezuela. He retired Carlos Rivero, Andrés Blanco and Dixon Machado, the latter by K. After Japan scored six in the bottom of the inning, Yasuaki Yamasaki relieved. Kaino got the win over Anthony Vizcaya. He also got the win over Australia and Jon Kennedy to become the event's first hurler to 2-0. In the finale, Japan defeated defending champion South Korea. He relieved Nakagawa in the 7th with a 4-3 lead and he went 1-2-3 against Baek-ho Kang (K), Kyoung-min Hur (GO) and Sang-su Kim (FO). Yoshinobu Yamamoto relieved in the 8th and Japan held on for the win. For the event, he pitched five hitless, scoreless innings, fanning seven and walking only one (Efren Navarro of Mexico). He tied Yi Chang, Yudai Ono, Takahashi and Hyeon-jong Yang for the event lead in wins and tied for the most games pitched (5; Yamamoto and Yamasaki also pitched five times for Japan).