Koki Kitayama

Koki Kitayama (北山 亘基)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 176 lbs.

• School Kyoto Sangyo University
• High School Kyoto Seisho High School

• Born April 10, 1999 in Kyoto, Kyoto Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Koki Kitayama has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Kitayama was drafted by the Nippon Ham Fighters in the 8th round of the 2021 NPB draft, and he was surprisingly named the opening day starter in 2022. He was the 2nd rookie to be named the opening day starter in Fighters history following Noboru Makino in 1956, and he was just the 14th rookie in NPB history to do it. Kitayama ended up having a 3.51 ERA with 16 holds and 9 saves in 55 games in '22, ranking 7th in saves (tied with Kaima Taira) and 6th in appearances (tied with Koya Fujii). He entered the rotation in 2023, and he was 6-5 with a 3.41 ERA. Kitayama improved to 5-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 2024.