Biography

BIOGRAPHY

Yoshi Tsutsugo was born November 26, 1991, in Wakayama, Japan. He is a left fielder in the MLB.

Tsutsugo made his rookie debut at age 18 for the Yokohama BayStars and played 3 games in 2010. He played 40 games in 2011, 108 games in 2012 and 23 games in 2013. His low start were due to his injuries and lack of experience adjusting to using wooden bats in professional baseball. He became a regular on the team in the 2014 season and played in 114 games. He hit 22 home runs, drove in 77 RBI, and hit .300 with an OBP of .373. In 2015, he was selected to his first NPB All-Star Game. He hit 24 home runs, drove in 95 runs, and hit .309 with an OBP of .395.

In 2016, he was selected to his second consecutive NPB All-Star Game and was the All-Star Game MVP. He led with Central League in home runs (44) and RBI (110). He also had career highs in batting average (.322) and OBP (.430). Tsutsugo was selected to the next three NPB All-Star Games, winning the Kantosho (敢闘選手賞) or "Fighting Spirit Award" in all three appearances. In total, Tsutsugo appeared in five NPB All-Star Games from 2015 to 2019.

On August 16, 2021, he signed a major league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates and played his first game with the team on the same day. On November 24, 2021, he agreed to a one-year contract with the Pirates for $4 million.