Toru Murata

Japanese baseball player

Baseball player

Toru Murata

Murata with the Cleveland Indians

Free agent
Pitcher
Born: (1985-05-20) May 20, 1985 (age 37)
Kumatori, Osaka, Japan

Bats: Left

Throws: Right

Professional debut
MLB: June 28, 2015, for the Cleveland Indians
NPB: April 2, 2017, for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters
MLB statistics
(through 2015 season)
Win–loss record| 0–1
Earned run average| 8.10
Strikeouts| 2
NPB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Win–loss record| 8-8
Earned run average| 3.18
Strikeouts| 130
Teams

* Yomiuri Giants (2008–2010)
* Cleveland Indians (2015)
* Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2017–2021)

Toru Murata (村田 透, Murata Tōru, born May 20, 1985) is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher. He previously played for the Yomiuri Giants and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) and for the Cleveland Indians of Major League Baseball (MLB).

## Career[edit]

### Yomiuri Giants[edit]

Murata attended Osaka Taiiku University.[1] In 2007, he was selected by the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball in the first round of the Japanese Draft and spent three years pitching in ni-gun—the Japanese minor league—before being released.[2][3]

### Cleveland Indians[edit]

Murata joined the Cleveland Indians on December 19, 2010,[4] though his American career began before that—he pitched nine games for the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League in 2009 and was named a "Rising Star."[5] In 2011, he made his professional debut, going 3–2 with 58 strikeouts, 37 hits, 10 walks and a 2.36 ERA in 49 2/3 innings for the High-A Kinston Indians. Between the High-A Carolina Mudcats, Double-A Akron Aeros and Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 2012, the hurler was 3–2 with a 2.89 ERA in 27 games (10 starts). In 74 2/3 innings, he allowed only 68 hits and 22 walks while striking out 66 batters. With Akron and Columbus in 2013, Murata was 6–9 with a 4.44 ERA in 28 starts. In 158 innings, he walked only 29 batters. In 2014, he was 10–7 with a 5.04 ERA in 27 games (20 starts) between Akron and Columbus. He allowed only 38 walks in 126 2/3 innings.

Murata also played professionally in Panama and Venezuela.[6][7] He throws two fastballs, a cutter, a forkball, a slider, a curveball and changeup.[8] Murata was called up to the major leagues for the first time in his career on June 28, 2015, to start against the Baltimore Orioles as the 26th man on the roster for a doubleheader.[9] After pitching in that one game, he was returned to Triple-A Columbus. On July 31, Murata was outrighted off of the 40-man roster.[10] He finished the year in Columbus, posting a 15-4 record and 2.90 ERA in 27 appearances. He returned to Columbus in 2016, where he logged a 9-4 record and 3.78 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 102.1 innings of work. On November 18, 2016, he was released by the organization so he could return to Japan.

### Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters[edit]

On November 18, 2016, Murata signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and returned to Nippon Professional Baseball. For the 2017 season, Murata logged a 1-2 record and 2.77 ERA in 15 appearances. The next year, Murata pitched to a 6-3 record and 3.27 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 77.0 innings of work. In 2019, Murata pitched in 13 games for the Fighters, recording a 3.18 ERA with 28 strikeouts. In 2020, Murata logged a 3.55 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 38.0 innings pitched across 21 appearances. On December 2, 2020, he became a free agent.[11] On December 24, Murata re-signed with the Fighters.[12] He was released by Nippon-Ham on November 2, 2021.

## References[edit]

1. ^ BR Minors page
2. ^ Cleveland Indians sign former Yomiuri Giant Toru Murata
3. ^ Scouting Reports on Toru Murata and Jeff Soptic-Off the Radar
4. ^ "Minor Deals: Budde, Lerew, Guzman, Jimenez".
5. ^ MiLB.com page
6. ^ Toru Murata espera adaptarse al beisbol venezolano
7. ^ Toru Murata Octavo Importado
8. ^ Indians Sign Toru Murata
9. ^ Hoynes, Paul (June 27, 2015). "Cleveland Indians spring surprise starter on Baltimore Orioles 
 RHP Toru Murata". cleveland.com. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
10. ^ "Toru Murata Stats, Fantasy & News".
11. ^ "2020年度 自由契約選手". NPB.jp 日本野球機構 (in Japanese). Retrieved January 9, 2021.
12. ^ "村田透投手と契約合意". 北海道日本ハムファイターズ オフィシャルサイト (in Japanese). December 30, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toru Murata.

* Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
* Toru Murata on Twitter
* Toru Murata on Instagram
* His blog (in Japanese)