Taiga Kamichatani

Taiga Kamichatani (上茶谷 大河)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 182 lbs.

• School Toyo University
• High School Kyoto Gakuen High School

• Born August 31, 1996 in Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan

BR register page

Biographical Information

Taiga Kamichatani has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Kamichatani struck out 20 against Komazawa University on May 31, 2018, and he set the Tohto University Base Ball League record for most strikeouts in a game. He won the MVP that season, and he led his college past Asia University in the finals of the fall season. He was drafted by the Yokohama BayStars and the Yakult Swallows in the first round of the 2018 NPB draft, and the BayStars won the lottery for the right to him; the scout was Kunio Takesue. Kamichatani was 7-6 with a 3.96 ERA in 2019, then he went 2-3 with a 4.12 ERA in 2020. He struggled in 2021 as his ERA was 7.15 in 8 games.

The Kyoto native went 3-6 with a 4.73 ERA in 2022, and he was moved to the bullpen in 2023. He pitched well that season, and he was 5-3 with 3 holds and a 2.11 ERA in 46 appearances. Kamichatani's ERA was 4.37 with a 2-2 record in 2024, and he also went 3-1 with a 1.31 ERA for the Algodoneros de Guasave in the winter. The Softbank Hawks selected him in the 2024 NPB Active draft.

Kamichatani's repertoire features a fastball that peaks at 94.4 mph, a forkball, curve, sinker, shuuto, changeup, cutter and a slider.