Sachiya Yamasaki

Sachiya Yamasaki (山﨑 福也)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 2", Weight 194 lbs.

• School Meiji University
• High School The Third High School of Nihon University

• Born September 9, 1992 in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Sachiya Yamasaki has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball. His father is NPB catcher Akihiro Yamasaki.

Yamasaki represented Japan in the 2014 Haarlem Baseball Week. The Orix Buffaloes drafted him in the first round of the 2014 NPB draft, and he soon joined the rotation as a rookie. He started 12 games in his rookie year, collecting 3 wins with a 4.53 ERA. The Orix then sent him to the Indios de Mayaguez of the Puerto Rican Winter League after this season. He was 3-3 with a 1.69 ERA; he did not win the ERA title as Adalberto Flores was under 1. Yamazaki was a swingman in 2016, and he had a 3.67 ERA in 17 games. He suffered a left shoulder injury in August, so he missed the rest of the season. He played the same role in 2017, started 7 games in his 15 appearances and his ERA was 4.40. However, Yamazaki struggled in 2018, and he only got 7 appearances.

The Saitama native was a full-time reliever in 2019, and he recorded a 4.50 ERA in 37 appearances. He was moved back to the rotation in 2020, but he still recorded a 4.50 ERA in 15 starts. Yamazaki finally broke out in 2021, having a 8-10 record with a 3.56 ERA, but he still led the Pacific League in losses. He pitched 6 innings with 2 runs allowed in Game 5 of the 2021 Nippon Series, and ended up with a no-decision and the Buffaloes were beaten by the Yakult Swallows in 6 games. Yamazaki was 5-8 with a 3.45 ERA in 2022, then shined in the postseason. He pitched 4 shutout innings in Game 2 in the 2022 Nippon Series, then recorded 5 shutout innings to get the win over Yasuhiro Ogawa and the Swallows. The Buffaloes won the title in 7 games, and Yamazaki was named the Outstanding Player award (a step below the MVP, which went to Yutaro Sugimoto)

Yamazaki improved and attended 2023 NPB All-Star Game 1. He replaced Tsuyoshi Wada in the 5th inning, pitching a shutout inning, with a strikeout of Seiya Hosokawa, and his teammate Soichiro Yamazaki relieved him. Yamazaki ended up 11-5 with a 3.25 ERA, and ranked 2nd in wins (5 behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto). In the 2023 Nippon Series, he pitched 4 innings with 3 runs allowed and ended up with a no-decision. The defending champion Orix was beaten by the Hanshin Tigers in 7 games.

His repertoire features a fastball that peaks at 94.4 mph, a forkball, cutter, changeup, curveball and a slider.