Shun Yamaguchi

Shun Yamaguchi...His father, Hisashi, was a sumo wrestler in the upper-echelon Makuuchi division and ranked as high as Maegashira 4...Was drafted by the Yokohama BayStars in the 1st round of the 2005 high school draft...Made three appearances for Japan in the WBSC Premier 12 Tournament last November...Chose to wear No. 1 as it is the number usually given to the best high school pitchers in Japan...Enjoys cooking whenever he gets the chance... Is the 6th Japanese-born player to play for the Blue Jays, and the 4th pitcher to do so, joining Mike Nakamura (2004), Tomo Ohka (2007) and Ryota Igarashi (2012).

2020

In his first Major League season, he appeared in 17 relief appearances with the Toronto Blue Jays, posting an 8.06 ERA (23er, 25.2ip)…Earned his first Major League win on August 26, 2020 vs. Boston...Posted a 1.54 ERA (2er, 11.2ip) in six games during the month of August but had a 36.00 ERA in two July appearances and a 11.77 ERA in nine games during September.

2019

Led the Japanese Central League in strikeouts (188) and wins (15) while tied for 3rd in ERA (2.91)...Set career highs in wins (15), starts (26), innings (170.0) and strikeouts.

2018

In 2018, he went 9-9 with a 3.68 ERA while making 21 starts and nine relief appearances. His 144 strikeouts ranked fifth in the Japanese Central League while his 3.68 ERA was seventh best among qualified pitchers. He also threw a career-high six complete games.