Toru Murata

Toru Murata (村田 透)

• Bats Left, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 175 lb.
• School Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences
• High School Naniwa Shogyo High School
• Debut June 28, 2015
• Final Game June 28, 2015
• Born May 20, 1985 in Kumatori, Osaka Japan

BR page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Toru Murata was the Yomiuri Giants' first-round draft pick in 2007 after helping his school win the All-Japan University Baseball Championship Series in 2006 (their first national title; he was tournament MVP). In 2008, he appeared in nine games with their minor league team, going 0-2 with a 7.82 ERA. He followed that with a 2-4 showing in 2009, posting a 3.98 ERA in 26 games and in 2010, he went 0-4 with a 4.25 ERA in six appearances. He spent three seasons in ni-gun, going 2-10 with a 4.56 ERA in 43 appearances. The Giants released him on December 2, 2010. He never made it to Nippon Pro Baseball.

Later that month, the 25-year-old signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians. The scout was Dave DeFreitas. He began his American career with the Kinston Indians in 2011, going 3-2 with a 2.36 ERA in 22 games (five starts). In 49 2/3 innings, he allowed only 37 hits and 10 walks for a .208/.251/.292 opponent batting line, while striking out 58 batters.

He began the 2012 season with the Akron Aeros, but was promoted to the Columbus Clippers in late April. He was 3-2 with a 2.89 ERA in 65 2/3 innings that year. In 2013, he was 6-9 with a 4.44 mark for Akron and Columbus; he was 10-7 with a 5.04 ERA for the same teams in 2014. He was 15-4 with a 2.90 ERA for Columbus in 2015.

Toru made his major league debut on June 28, 2015 when he was called up by the Indians to start the second game of a doubleheader against the Baltimore Orioles. He gave up 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings to be charged with his team's 8-0 loss. It turned out to be the only major league game of his career, as he spent all of 2016 with Columbus, going 9-4 with a 3.78 ERA in 33 games (10 starts), without returning to the Show.

Following the conclusion of the 2016 season, Murata signed with the Nippon-Ham Fighters for 2017, returning to NPB. He started and relieved on-and-off through the 2021 season, after which the Fighters released him.

After pitching off-season ball for the Auckland Tuatara of the Australian Baseball League during their 2022-23 slate, Murata signed on to pitch for the Bonn Capitals of the Baseball-Bundesliga on June 9, 2023. He helped the club to their fourth straight championship that season, and finished with the North Division's best ERA (0.82) and a spotless Win-Loss Percentage, winning all five of starts. After returning to Australia to pitch for the Adelaide Giants in 2023-24, Murata joined Hroši Brno of the Extraliga on March 6, 2024.

He has been timed at 93 mph on his fastball.

Related Sites

• Toru Murata on mlb,com
• BR Minors page
• Taiwan Baseball Wiki