Yoshitomo Tsutsugo...was selected by Yokohama in the first round of the 2009 NPB Draft…hit 69 home runs in high school…helped Japan win Bronze Medal in the 2009 Asian Junior Championship, an under-18 international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Baseball Federation of Asia...wore No. 25 for seven of his 10 seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball; the number was bestowed to him by former teammate and fellow NPB star Shuichi Murata and was considered a great honor.
2023
Began the season in Texas’ organization in camp as a non-roster invitee. Went 6-for-30 with a homer in 14 Spring Training games for the Rangers. Played 51 games for Triple-A Round Rock, slashing .249/.380/.432 with six homers and 33 RBI to go along with an .812 OPS. Released by Texas on June 22. Signed with the Independent Staten Island Ferry Hawks of the Atlantic League on Aug. 1. Appeared in 12 games and crushed seven homers, drove in 13 runs and had two doubles. Signed by San Francisco to a Minor League contract on Aug. 21 and was later assigned to Richmond. Homered four times and drove in 10 runs while going 14-for-45 (.311) in 13 games for the Flying Squirrels. Promoted to Triple-A Sacramento on Sept. 17 and appeared in four games for the River Cats.
2022
Returned to Pittsburgh and batted .171 (29-170) with two HR and 19 RBI over 50 games, making starts at 1B (34) and DH (15)…had stint on Injured List from 5/25-7/4 (lumbar muscle strain), which included a nine-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis…went 9-for-57 (.158) in 15 games with PIT following activation from IL and was released on 8/5…signed with Toronto as a minor league free agent on 8/16 and went on to bat .265/.381/.459/.841 (26-98) with five HR and 18 RBI over 29 games at Triple-A Buffalo…elected free agency on 11/20 after the conclusion of the regular season.
2021
Hit .217 (50-for-230) with 12 doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 32 RBI in 81 Major League games between the Rays, Dodgers and Pirates... Began season with Tampa Bay, where he made 11 starts at first base and eight as the designated hitter among his 26 games with the Rays thru 5/8... Was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay on 5/11... Was acquired by Los Angeles (NL) on 5/15 in exchange for a player to be named... Made debut with Dodgers on 5/18 as a starter in left field vs. Arizona... Made a total of six starts in left field with the Dodgers and went 3-for-20... Played his final game with Los Angeles on 6/5...Was on the injured list from 6/9 to 7/6 with a right calf strain...Hit .257 (38-for-148) with seven doubles, 10 home runs and 32 RBI in 43 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City (includes time on rehab from 6/17 to 7/6)...Was released by Los Angeles on 8/14...Signed by the Pirates on 8/16... Doubled as a pinch hitter while making his debut with the Pirates on 8/16 at Dodger Stadium...Made his first start at first base on 8/17 at Los Angeles and went 1-for-4 with a double... Connected off Daniel Ponce de Leon for his first home run on 8/20; a pinch-hit shot at Busch Stadium...Homered again on 8/21 while starting the game in St. Louis at first base... Homered as a pinch-hitter again on 8/23 vs. Arizona...Hit his third pinch-hit home run on 8/26 vs. St. Louis; his third in seven days... Hit his seventh home run in his 42nd at bat with the Pirates on 9/5 at Chicago (NL) - the fastest, in terms of at bats, to hit seven home runs as a Bucco... Produced a .698 slugging percentage in his first 100 plate appearances with the Pirates; the third-best mark (since 1901) behind Reb Russell (.753 in 1922) and Garrett Jones (.742 in 2009)...Went 8-for-42 (.190) with four RBI in his final 12 games after hitting last home run on 9/20... Made 20 starts in right field, nine at first base and two in left field for the Pirates...Produced a .440 (11-for-25) average and 18 RBI with RISP for the Pirates... Went 5-for-9 with two doubles, three homers and five RBI as a pinch hitter...Declared free agency on 11/3; re-signed with the Pirates on 11/28.
2020
Appeared in 51 games and made 42 starts (19-DH,12-LF, 11-3B) in his first major league season…led the team and ranked 2nd among major league rookies with 26 BB behind SEA Kyle Lewis (34)…tied for 3rd among rookies with 27 runs and tied for 4th with 8 HR...Hit leadoff seven times, all in his last 10 games...Had a higher avg. against lefties (.243) than righties (.183), but 35 of his 42 starts came vs. RHP...On Opening Day vs. TOR, homered off Hyun Jin Ryu in the 5th inning, his first career hit… became the sixth Japanese-born player to homer in his major league debut, joining LAD Kenta Maeda in 2016, CHC Kosuke Fukudome in 2008, SEA Kenji Johjima in 2006, NYM Kazuo Matsui in 2004 and STL Keith McDonald in 2000…he was the first Japanese-born player to homer on Opening Day since MIL Nori Aoki in 2013 and first in the AL since NYY Hideki Matsui in 2010...Was the 24th player to homer in his Rays debut, first since Willy Adames in 2018…became the sixth Ray to homer in his major league debut, joining Adames, Brandon Guyer in 2011, Elijah Dukes in 2007, Delmon Young in 2006 and Brent Abernathy in 2001...On Aug 1 at BAL, flied into a double play to lead off the 10th inning—the first leadoff double play in MLB history, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
POSTSEASON: Hit .125 (2-for-16) in 8 games (3 starts)…made his postseason debut in a Game 1 start in the Wild Card Series vs. TOR, going 0-for-2…also started Game 3 of the ALDS at NYY and Game 4 of the ALCS at HOU.
2019
Hit 29 HR for Yokohama in 2019, his sixth consecutive season of 20 HR (or more), though his 79 RBI were his fewest since 2014 (77)...Tied for 15th in NPB in home runs, his lowest rank since 2013…ranked 6th in NPB with 88 BB and 12th with a .388 OBP...Received one second-place vote in the Central League Most Valuable Player balloting...On Aug 17 vs. Hiroshima, went 3-for-5 with 2 HR and became the youngest player in team history to reach 200 HR...Homered in Game 2 of the NPB All-Star Game, his fifth career All-Star Game homer…note the NPB All-Star Game is an annual series between the Central League and Pacific League…in most years, the series consists of 2 games...Entered the posting system on Nov 19…to sign him from Yokohama, the Rays paid the BayStars a release fee of $2.4 million, which was equal to 20 percent of his total guarantee.
2018
In 2018, led the Central League and tied Hotaka Yamakawa of the Pacific League’s Saitama Seibu Lions for the NPB lead with 72 XBH…ranked among NPB leaders in doubles (33, 7th), home runs (38, tied for 4th), RBI (89, tied for 12th), walks (80, 9th) and slugging pct. (.596, 5th)...Received one third-place vote in the Central League Most Valuable Player balloting...Homered in Game 1 of the NPB All-Star Game… his 2-run homer tied the game in the 3rd inning...Played in the Nichi-Bei Series, which is also known as the Japan All-Star Series…is a best-of format between MLB and NPB players.
2017
Began the season playing in the World Baseball Classic and ended it playing in the Japan Series, which is a best-of-seven series between the champions of the Central League and Pacific League...Was a Best Nine selection as an outfielder…it is determined by journalists and presented annually to the best player at each position in both the Central League and Pacific League...Led NPB with 93 BB…ranked 4th with a .909 OPS, 5th with a .396 OBP and 94 RBI, 7th with 59 XBH and a .513 SLG and 9th with 28 HR...Hit .250/.400/.500 (5-for-20) with 2 2B, 1 HR and 3 RBI in the Japan Series but the BayStars lost to the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in 6 games…the homer was a go-ahead shot in Game 5...Homered off Yusei Kikuchi in Game 1 of the NPB All-Star Game and became the third player with a RBI in five consecutive All-Star Games, joining Hideki Matsui and Takeshi Yamasaki...Hit .320/.433/.680 (8-for-25) with 3 HR and 8 RBI in 7 games...Earned Pool B Most Valuable Player honors… helped Japan win each of its three first-round games…homered in the first 2 games, off Jonder Martínez of Cuba and Jon Kennedy of Australia...Homered off Dylan Axelrod in Japan's second-round game against Israel.
2016
Led NPB with 44 HR and tied Sho Nakata of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters for the NPB lead with 110 RBI…also ranked among NPB leaders in avg. (.322, 4th), on-base pct. (.430, 3rd), slugging pct. (.680, 1st) and OPS (1.110, 1st)...Finished 5th in the Central League Most Valuable Player balloting...Was a Best Nine selection as an outfielder...Entered the NPB record books on July 22, 2016, becoming the first player in league history with three consecutive multi-HR games...On Aug 5 vs. Chunichi, became the youngest player in team history to reach 100 HR...Named Most Valuable Player of Game 1 of the NPB All-Star Game…doubled and homered in the Central League's 5-4 win…was the youngest NPB All-Star Game MVP in team history...Went 2-for-3 with a homer in Game 2 but Most Valuable Player honors were claimed by the Pacific League's Shohei Ohtani.
2015
Ranked among NPB's Top 10 in runs, hits, RBI, walks, avg., on-base pct. and slugging pct. and just missed it in home runs (24, 11th)...Was a Best Nine selection as an outfielder for the first time in his career.
2014
Enjoyed a breakout season, taking over left field duties from veteran Hitoshi Tamura… his 22 HR tied for 13th in NPB but tied for 6th in the Central League and ranked 3rd among Japanese natives…ranked 6th in NPB with a .529 SLG and 7th with a .902 OPS...Was a late addition for the Nichi-Bei Series, replacing the injured Akira Nakamura…the Series was reinstated after an eight-year hiatus.
