Yohei Kaneko

Yohei Kaneko (金子 洋平)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 10", Weight 187 lb.

• School Aoyama Gakuin University
• High School Kokushikan High School

• Born December 4, 1981 in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi Japan

BR register page

Biographical information

Yohei Kaneko made his Nippon Pro Baseball debut in 2007.

Kaneko played for Honda in the industrial leagues after college. He went 0 for 3 for Japan in the 2004 Haarlem Baseball Week. He represented Japan in the 2005 Baseball World Cup, hitting .344/.463/.656 with 5 extra-base hits and 12 runs in 10 games, playing primarily DH and being one of Japan's top performers. He did not make the All-Tournament team as Joey Votto was chosen at DH. Kaneko was taken in the 6th round of the 2006 NPB draft by the Nippon Ham Fighters.

In 2007, Kaneko slammed 14 home runs in the minor Eastern League. For Nippon Ham's top club, he hit .129/.306/.156 with 3 HR in 62 AB but also 23 strikeouts. He was a backup OF for the Pacific League champions. He spent most of 2008 back in ni-gun, smashing 16 homers, but was 0 for 9 with 5 strikeouts and a double play grounder in his time with Nippon Ham.

Sources

• Japanesebaseball.com by Michael Westbay
• Japanese Wikipedia
• Defunct IBAF site
• Harry Wedemeijer's international tourney stats