New honors rolled in for the Japan Series champion Hanshin Tigers on Friday, when a team-record five players were named winners of Golden Glove fielding awards.
Center fielder Koji Chikamoto led the Central League voting for outfielders to win his third award and his third straight, while catcher Seishiro Sakamoto, first baseman Yusuke Oyama, second baseman Takumu Nakano, and shortstop Seiya Kinami all won their first.
The Pacific League champion Orix Buffaloes led the PL awards with three, with ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and third baseman Yuma Mune each winning for the third straight year, while catcher Kenya Wakatsuki was a first-time honoree. Shortstop Kotaro Kurebayashi lost by the narrowest of margins.
The Seibu Lions' Sosuke Genda won his sixth straight PL shortstop award over Kurebayashi 115-114. Genda played much of the World Baseball Classic with a broken finger in March and missed 43 regular season games.
"It is a real honor to be selected despite having few games and innings," Genda said in a comment released by his team.
*
Central League
P: Katsuki Azuma, DeNA BayStars
C: Seishiro Sakamoto, Hanshin Tigers
1B: Yusuke Oyama, Hanshin Tigers
2B: Takumu Nakano, Hanshin Tigers
3B: Toshiro Miyazaki, DeNA BayStars
SS: Seiya Kinami, Hanshin Tigers
OF: Koji Chikamoto, Hanshin Tigers
OF: Yuki Okabayashi, Chunichi Dragons
OF: Masayuki Kuwahara, DeNA BayStars
Pacific League
P: Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Orix Buffaloes
C: Kenya Wakatsuki, Orix Buffaloes
1B: Akira Nakamura, SoftBank Hawks
2B: Shogo Nakamura, Lotte Marines
3B: Yuma Mune, Orix Buffaloes
SS: Sosuke Genda, Seibu Lions
OF: Ryosuke Tatsumi, Rakuten Eagles
OF: Chusei Mannami, Nippon Ham Fighters
OF: Kensuke Kondo, SoftBank Hawks
*
