Kaito Yuki

Kaito Yuki (結城 海斗)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 170 lb.

• Born May 12, 2002 in Tondabayashi, Osaka Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Kaito Yuki made the news when he was signed by the Kansas City Royals on July 8, 2018 as a 16-year-old who turned down offers from Japanese high schools, bypassing the normal path taken by Japanese players to turn pro. That made him the youngest Japanese player to be signed by a major league organization. This was not looked upon kindly by Japanese baseball authorities, who considered it a break in the rules preventing Major League Baseball and Nippon Pro Baseball from poaching each other's players. Yuki had previously played in the U.S. in youth tournaments and had decided that he wanted to turn pro there, in order to have a quicker road to the major leagues. His signing bonus was reported to be $322,000 and some optimistic scouts compared him to a young Yu Darvish - with the caveat that he was not fully grown yet and that his fastball was still only topping out at 87 mph.

For all the publicity afforded Tuki's signing, his career turned out to be a bust. He was assigned to the AZL Royals the following June, and then to the Idaho Falls Chukars of the Pioneer League, but did not appear in any games for either team in 2019. Two years later, on June 13, 2021, after he had been forced to sit out the 2020 season because of the Coronavirus pandemic, he was handed his release by the Royals. Yuki then announced his retirement after being released by the Royals, as his max speed fell to 120km/h (74.6 mph) because of an elbow injury.

Further Reading

• "Teenage prospect Kaito Yuki targets major league career after choosing Royals over Koshien", The Japan Times, July 8, 2018. [1]