Toshiya Okada

Toshiya Okada (岡田 俊哉)

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 5' 10", Weight 143 lb.

• High School Chiben Wakayama High School

• Born December 5, 1991 in Hidaka-gun, Wakayama Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Toshiya Okada pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball and for the Japan national baseball team.

Okada was drafted by the Chunichi Dragons in the first round of the 2009 NPB draft after they lost the lottery of Yusei Kikuchi. He didn't pitched any games for the big club in the next two years. Okada was promoted in 2013, and he soon became an important part of the Dragons' bullpen. He played 66 games and collected 15 holds with a 2.79 ERA. He was in the rotation in the beginning of the 2014 season, but the club removed him due to his unstable performance in the middle of the season. Okada ended up 3-7 with a 4.33 ERA.

2015 was Okada's career year. He pitched 50 games and notched 15 holds with an excellent 1.57 ERA. He declined a little, but still got 13 holds with a 3.20 ERA in 57 appearances in 2016. He then made it onto Japan's roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He pitched 1/3 of an inning against Cuba and 2/3 of an inning against China; he didn't allowed any runs in both games. However, Okada received a blood circulation disorder surgery, and missed nearly the entire 2017 season. Okada recovered and was back to the mound in 2018, but his ERA rose to 5.06 in 21 1/3 innings. He bounced back in 2019, notched 13 saves and 7 holds with a 3.58 ERA. He slumped to 4.88 ERA in 24 innings in the next year, and he still struggled with a 4.86 ERA in 2021. He only pitched 6 innings and allowed 6 runs in 2022. In the spring training of the 2023 season, Okada fractured his right thigh, which may force him to miss most of the 2023 season.

His repertoire includes a slider and fastball (peak 92.5 mph).