“I don’t remember ever getting tagged in tag…” SoftBank’s Yuki Shuto Talks About His Baseball Career: “First, I’m Aiming for 300 Career Stolen Bases”

From the Development Draft to Stolen Base King

As of last year, he had recorded 230 career stolen bases in the pros and holds the world record for stealing a base in 13 consecutive games—.

Yuki Shuto (30) of the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, the fastest player in professional baseball, has had remarkable stories circulating about him since childhood. He says he has no memory of ever being tagged in games of tag, and that he used to catch wild rabbits in the mountains near his hometown in Gunma Prefecture. Shuto says with a laugh:

“That story’s been embellished a bit. But it’s not a complete lie.”

While Shuto appears to have built a successful career on the strength of his legendary speed, he says he has faced various struggles and adversities along the way. Here’s a look at the baseball journey of Shuto, who worked his way up from the farm system.

Shuto, who started playing baseball in the second grade of elementary school, went on to attend his local high school, Higashi-Noda University No. 2 High School in Gunma Prefecture. He hadn’t been thinking about turning pro, but his perspective changed after enrolling at Higashi-Noda University Hokkaido Okhotsk.

“I had seniors right around me who were drafted by pro teams, like Ren Kazuhari (formerly of the Yakult Swallows) and Kazutomo Iguchi (currently with Oisix). That made me think, ‘I can do it too.’”

Shuto was recruited by the SoftBank Hawks as the second overall pick in the Development Draft, thanks to his speed—he could run 50 meters in 5.7 seconds.In March 2019, his second year, he was added to the active roster; although his batting average was .196, he led the team with 25 stolen bases. In his third year, he recorded 50 stolen bases and became the first player from the development draft to win the stolen base title.

“It might look like I’m stealing bases easily, but I felt intense pressure every single time. It was a huge burden to have people expect, ‘Of course Shuto will succeed.’ I was really saved by the words of Coach Yuichi Honda (Infield Defense, Baserunning, and Strategy) back then.‘It’s okay. If you just take a normal lead, you’ll succeed.’ After that, I stopped overthinking it—I just focused on getting a good start.”

“It’s not just about his legs.”

Shuto’s speed has amazed the world. He was selected for the Japanese national team for the WBC in March 2023. In the semifinal against Mexico, he entered the game as a pinch-runner in the bottom of the ninth inning. When Munetaka Murakami hit a single, Shuto sprinted from first base straight to home plate without hesitation, contributing to the walk-off victory. However, he says he also felt a strong sense of crisis.

“As someone who wasn’t a full-time starter for the Hawks, I felt a bit out of place being selected for the national team. I came to strongly realize that, to become a player universally recognized as worthy of the Japanese national team—by both myself and others—speed alone isn’t enough; I also need to improve my hitting to secure a starting spot.”

Shuto’s batting skills improved significantly thanks to two mentors: Yuya Hasegawa, the hitting and skills coach, and Chief Baseball Officer Kenji Jojima.

“Coach Hasegawa taught me the no-step swing. Since I lack raw power, I used to lift my leg to generate momentum and drive the ball. However, the larger my body movement became, the lower my chances of making solid contact. When I switched to a shuffling step, my success rate shot up.I received one-on-one instruction from Mr. Shirojima during the spring training camp in ’24. I used to think I had to adjust my swing to pull or push the ball depending on the pitch location, but Mr. Shirojima told me, ‘Basically, just hit it back to center field.’ That simplified my approach, and I was able to step into the batter’s box with more composure.”

Thanks to this improvement in his batting, he’s maintained a batting average in the high .200s this season.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ve given up on stealing bases. First, I’m aiming for 300 career stolen bases. I’ll keep running from here on out.”

With his natural speed combined with his strong hitting ability, no one would dispute that Shuto is Samurai Japan’s lead-off hitter.

The July 24 issue of *FRIDAY* (August 7 & 14 edition) and the paid version, *FRIDAY GOLD*, feature not only Shuto’s explanation for why he’s stopped obsessing over his batting average but also numerous exclusive photos.

Click here to view the full article and more photos↓

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