He Was Too Fast to Catch as a Kid—Now SoftBank’s Ukyo Shuto Is Chasing 300 Career Stolen Bases

From developmental player to Stolen-Base King

By last year, he had recorded 230 stolen bases over his professional career and held the world record for stealing a base in 13 consecutive games.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks speedster Ukyo Shuto, 30, has had remarkable stories surrounding his speed since childhood. He reportedly never remembers being caught when playing tag, and is even said to have caught wild hares in the mountains near his hometown in Gunma Prefecture. Shuto laughs as he recalls it.

“The story has been exaggerated. But it’s not completely untrue.”

Shuto may appear to have steadily built his career thanks to his exceptional speed, but he says he has faced various struggles and difficult circumstances along the way. Here is the story of Shuto’s baseball career, from developmental player to the top of the stolen-base rankings.

Shuto began playing baseball in the second grade of elementary school and went on to attend Tonodai Daini High School in his native Gunma Prefecture. He was not particularly conscious of becoming a professional, but his outlook changed after he entered Tokyo University of Agriculture Hokkaido Okhotsk.

“There were seniors close to me, such as Ren Kazahari (formerly of the Yakult Swallows) and Kazuho Iguchi (currently with Oisix). They were being drafted by professional teams, and that made me start thinking, ‘Maybe I can do it too.’”

Shuto’s 50-meter time of 5.7 seconds earned him recognition for his blazing speed, and he joined SoftBank after being selected with the second pick in the developmental draft. In March 2019, his second year, he was promoted to the team’s registered roster. Although he hit just .196 in the major league-level first team, he led the club with 25 stolen bases. In his third year, he recorded 50 stolen bases, becoming the first player from the developmental system to win the stolen-base title.

“It might look like I steal bases easily, but I felt intense pressure every time. The expectation that if it’s Shuto, he’s supposed to succeed was a burden. The words from Yuichi Honda, who was the infield defense, baserunning, and strategy coach at the time, really helped me. He told me, ‘Don’t worry. If you just get a normal start, you’ll succeed.’ After that, I stopped overthinking it and worrying that I absolutely had to get a perfect start.”

Speed alone isn’t enough

Shuto’s speed has also amazed the world. He was selected to represent Japan in the World Baseball Classic in March 2023. In the bottom of the ninth inning of the semifinal against Mexico, he entered the game as a pinch runner. When Munetaka Murakami hit the ball, Shuto immediately raced all the way from first base to home without hesitation, scoring the game-winning run and helping Japan secure a walk-off victory. But the experience also gave him a strong sense of urgency.

“I felt strange about being selected for the national team when I wasn’t even a full-time starter for the Hawks. I became acutely aware that, if I wanted to truly be recognized by both myself and others as a member of the Japan national team, speed alone wasn’t enough. I needed to improve my hitting ability so that I could become a regular starter.”

Shuto’s hitting improved significantly thanks to two mentors: batting and skills coach Yuya Hasegawa and chief baseball officer Kenji Jojima.

“Coach Hasegawa taught me a no-stride batting approach. Because I’m not particularly powerful, I used to lift my leg and try to generate momentum to drive the ball. But the more movement there is in your body, the lower your chances of making solid contact. When I switched to keeping my feet down and using a small step, my contact rate improved dramatically. I received intensive one-on-one instruction from Jojima during spring training in 2024. I thought I needed to adjust my approach depending on the pitch location, hitting to the opposite field or pulling the ball, but Jojima told me, ‘Basically, just hit it back up the middle.’ That simplified my thinking and allowed me to step into the batter’s box with more composure.”

With his improved hitting, Shuto has maintained a batting average in the high .200s this season.

“Of course, I haven’t given up my focus on stealing bases. First, I’m aiming for 300 career stolen bases. I’ll keep running for as long as I can.”

With his natural speed now complemented by a much stronger bat, there is little doubt that Shuto has established himself as one of the key leadoff weapons for Samurai Japan.

The July 24 issue of “FRIDAY (August 7–14 issue) and the paid edition, FRIDAY GOLD,” feature an exclusive interview in which Shuto explains why he does not obsess over his batting average, along with numerous exclusive photographs.

For more details and additional photos, click here ↓

From the August 7 & 14, 2026, combined issue of “FRIDAY”