Masato Kobayashi

Masato Kobayashi (小林 正人)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 190 lb.
• School Tokai University
• High School Kiryu Daiichi High School

• Born August 21, 1980 in Agatsuma-gun, Gumma Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Masato Kobayashi has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Kobayashi was drafted in the 6th round of the 2002 NPB draft by the Chunichi Dragons. He made it to the big club in 2005. The first game he pitched, he was ejected for plunking Shinjiro Hiyama. He allowed four runs in 4 2/3 IP as a rookie. Switching to a sidearm delivery in 2006, the Gumma native was 1-0 with a 5.25 ERA. He allowed a .213 opponent average. A LOOGY, he totaled just 12 innings over 23 games pitched. He faced one batter in the 2006 Japan Series, Michihiro Ogasawara, and promptly hit him, getting ejected in de ja vu of his NPB debut. Chunichi dropped the Series in five games to the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Masato had a 0-1, 2.38 record in 2007, with 11 1/3 IP over 18 games. He did not appear in the 2007 Japan Series, in which Chunichi avenged the previous year's loss to the Fighters. In 2008, the 27-year-old was 0-2 with a save and a 4.40 ERA, with 46 games and 28 2/3 IP. In 2009, he was superb, going 3-1 with a 0.84 ERA and 1.03 WHIP, working 32 games and 21 1/3 innings.

Kobayashi had a 0.90 WHIP and 2.14 ERA in 36 games (21 innings) in 2010. He was not used in the 2010 Japan Series, which Chunichi lost in 7 games to the Chiba Lotte Marines. He was even better in 2011, allowing a scant 10 hits in 31 innings over 58 games. He had a .55 WHIP and .87 ERA. In the 2011 Japan Series, he pitched briefly in games 3 and 7 as the Dragons fell to the Softbank Hawks in seven.

Through 2011, he is 9-4 with a save and 2.63 ERA. A true LOOGY, he has worked just 130 innings in 217 games.

He throws a fastball (peak in the mid-80s), slider, shuuto and curveball.

Sources

• Japan Baseball Daily