| Kaima Taira | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 👁 Image Taira in 2022 | |||||||||||||
| Saitama Seibu Lions – No. 61 | |||||||||||||
| Pitcher | |||||||||||||
| Born: (1999-11-15) November 15, 1999 (age 26) Ishigaki, Okinawa, Japan | |||||||||||||
Bats: Left Throws: Right | |||||||||||||
| NPB debut | |||||||||||||
| July 19, 2019, for the Saitama Seibu Lions | |||||||||||||
| NPB statistics (through 2025 season) | |||||||||||||
| Win–loss record | 25–19 | ||||||||||||
| Earned Run Average | 1.92 | ||||||||||||
| Strikeouts | 479 | ||||||||||||
| Saves | 62 | ||||||||||||
| Stats at Baseball Reference 👁 Edit this at Wikidata | |||||||||||||
| Teams | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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Medals
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Kaima Taira (平良 海馬, Taira Kaima; born November 15, 1999) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).[2][3]
Career
[edit]Taira was drafted by the Saitama Seibu Lions with the team's fourth selection in the 2017 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) draft out of Yaeyama Commercial High School [ja].[4] Taira spent the 2018 season with Seibu's farm team, posting a 5.40 ERA in 10 appearances.[5]
On July 19, 2019, Taira made his NPB debut. He finished this season with a 2–1 record and 3.38 ERA in 26 appearances. The following season, Taira played in 54 games for Seibu, posting a stellar 1.87 ERA in 53 innings of work.[5] Because of his efforts, Taira was named the 2020 Pacific League Rookie of the Year.[6]
On June 28, 2021, Taira tied the NPB record for consecutive mound appearances without giving up a run, with 38, a record also held by former Hanshin Tigers pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa.[7] On July 1, Taira passed Fujikawa and set a new NPB record by making his 39th consecutive mound appearance without giving up a run.[8] Taira's streak ended during his next appearance on July 6, when he allowed an RBI hit to Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters hitter Yuto Takahama [ja].[9] In 2021, Taira was named an NPB All-Star for the first time in his career.
On April 18, 2025, Tatsuya Imai and Taira combined to no-hit the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks at the Belluna Dome. Imai pitched the first eight innings, with Taira coming in the complete the no-hitter in the ninth inning.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ "【データ】パ初！西武平良海馬が同一シーズン20セーブ+20ホールド - プロ野球 : 日刊スポーツ" (in Japanese).
- ^ "Register: Taira, Kaima (Saitama Seibu Lions)". Nippon Professional Baseball. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ "61 平良 海馬選手名鑑2020 |埼玉西武ライオンズ" (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2020.
- ^ "埼玉西武ライオンズ 選択選手一覧 | 2017年 プロ野球ドラフト会議 supported by リポビタンD" [2017 Professional Baseball Draft Meeting supported by Lipovitan D]. Nippon Professional Baseball (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-06-26.
- ^ a b "Kaima Taira Japanese Leagues Statistics & History". Baseball Reference.
- ^ "Digital Extra – Okinawan native Taira wins the Pacific League Rookie of the Year award after recording no losses and 33 holds as a relief pitcher for the Seibu Lions". Ryukyu Shimpo.
- ^ @NPB_Reddit (28 June 2021). "Seibu Lions pitcher Kaima Taira tied the NPB record for consecutive mound appearances without giving up a run, at 3..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @NPB_Reddit (1 July 2021). "Seibu Lions pitcher Kaima Taira set a new NPB record by making his 39th consecutive mound appearance without giving..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @NPB_Reddit (6 July 2021). "Seibu Lions pitcher Kaima Taira's NPB record setting streak of consecutive mound appearances without giving up a ru..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ ""No-hitter, one-run" Seibu's first rare record in 61 years. Tatsuya Imai led a "no hit, no runs game" for the fifth time in professional baseball". Pacific League. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Career statistics - NPB.jp
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- 1999 births
- Living people
- Baseball people from Okinawa Prefecture
- People from Ishigaki, Okinawa
- Nippon Professional Baseball pitchers
- Saitama Seibu Lions players
- Nippon Professional Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners
- Baseball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Olympic baseball players for Japan
- Olympic medalists in baseball
- Olympic gold medalists for Japan
- Medalists at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Japanese baseball pitcher, 1990s birth stubs
- Japanese Olympic medalist stubs