Japanese baseball teams put way more emphasis on the #4 hitter than their MLB counterparts. And in the case of the Hanshin Tigers, that weight is warranted. Manager Akihiro Yano has slotted third-year third baseman Yusuke Ohyama in the slot all year, and he has had runners on base for his at-bats in every game so far. Let’s consider how the team has won and lost so far in the first 13 games of the season.
The Wins
March 29 – All damage done by the top of the order and pinch hitters. And the other team’s pitcher. Wild-pitch walk off. Ohyama only had one chance to make a difference in the game’s outcome and grounded out to third with a runner on first in the 4th inning.
March 30 – Yoshio Itoi‘s solo homer in the first was the lone run scored. Ohyama had baserunners ahead of him in two at-bats and failed to get a hit in either of them.
April 5 – It took until Game 7 for our cleanup hitter to get an RBI hit, and he did so in the first inning. He had one more chance to extend the lead later in the game but couldn’t get it done.
April 7 – He came up to the plate with runners on base four times, collecting two hits. Both came with the team comfortably ahead. Still, an acceptable outing in a blowout victory.
April 9 – With the team down two, he got a hit in the third inning – but made the third out by foolishly trying to stretch it into a double. Not even close. In his next at bat, he grounded into a double play. Then he walked with a runner in scoring position. Finally, with the game on the line, he collected an infield hit – though it could have easily been recorded as an error on their second baseman.
The Losses
March 31 – Three chances to either tie or push his team ahead. He flied out, sac flied, and struck out looking.
April 2 – Four times he came up with runners on base, three times he ended the inning with an out and the other time he got beaned.
April 3 – Two golden opportunities to make the game close or tied (runners on first and third) but both times, he failed.
April 4 – Nothing special here – the game was out of hand early on – but he walked once and grounded out once when runners were on.
April 6 – Just one chance with runners on, and he grounded out. Blowout loss, and he got a single with the team down five.
April 10 – Tight game, bases empty every time he came up. He never reached base. (Nor did many – Hamaguchi one-hit us.)
April 11 – Runners on second and third in the first, but he grounded out harmlessly. Hit a solo home run to bring the team to within one. Was an easy out in his next two at bats with a runner on first and the team desperate for offense.
April 12 – Was the third out of the inning three times with a runner (or three!) on base. The last one snuffed out a rally in which a hit from him would have tied the game and shifted the momentum completely in the Tigers’ favor. He was pulled after that (though Yano says it was a double-swap with a pitcher, and not necessarily because of the out).
So as you can see, Ohyama’s season has not gone well at all so far. He has had 18 guys in scoring position and another 22 on first base when he’s come up to the plate. Through 13 games, he has produced 25 outs in those situations, driving in three of the 40.
It would be one thing if this were a product of bad luck, or if his at-bats were high-quality. But from my observations, I have not seen a well-hit ball that happened to find a fielder’s glove. Lots of weak grounders, high fly balls and strikeouts (swinging at balls or looking at strikes).
Eye of the Tiger, Yusuke! 虎視眈々！Chances coming your way but you’re looking much more kitten-like than fierce Tiger!