Yuki Udagawa

Yuki Udagawa (宇田川 優希)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 209 lb.

• School Sendai University
• High School Saitama Prefectural Yashio Minami High School

• Born November 10, 1998 in Koshigaya, Saitama Japan

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Yuki Udagawa has pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball and been on the Japanese national team

Udagawa's fastball peak increased from 88.8 mph to 94.4 mph while he was in college. He was the third-round pick of the Orix Buffaloes in the 2020 NPB draft. He made one minor league appearance for them in 2021 (1 R in 2/3 IP) then saw his fastball hit 98.8 mph (to pair with a fine forkball) in 2022 , making his way from the farm (1-1, 1.88 in 15 G) to the top team (2-1, 0.81 ERA, 32 K, 10 H in 22 1/3 IP; 12 BB being the lone concern). He was superb in Orix's 2022 Japan Series run, pitching 5 2/3 shutout innings in the Series (10 K, 2 H, 5 BB). Only Motoki Higa and Jacob Waguespack made more appearances than his four for Orix in the Series. He beat Masanori Ishikawa in Game 4, relieving Taisuke Yamaoka in the 5th with a man on third and one out and striking out Kotaro Yamasaki and Tetsuto Yamada in a 1-0 victory.

He then made Japan's roster for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.