Kenta Bright
Kenta Bright | |
---|---|
Bright in 2022 | |
Chunichi Dragons – No. 42 | |
Outfielder | |
Born: (1999-05-07) May 7, 1999 (age 25) Adachi, Tokyo, Japan | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
NPB debut | |
April 5, 2023, for the Chunichi Dragons | |
NPB statistics (through 2023 season) | |
Batting average | .241 |
Home runs | 0 |
Runs batted in | 4 |
Teams | |
|
Kenta Adu Bright (ブライト健太, Bright Kenta Adu, May 7, 1999) is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder for the Chunichi Dragons of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He made his NPB debut in 2023. The Dragons chose Bright with their first pick of the 2021 NPB draft.
Early life
Bright was born in Adachi, Tokyo, Japan, on 7 May 1999 to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother.[1][2] He practiced judo from first grade to sixth grade,[3] which is when he switched to baseball.[1]
Amateur career
Bright attended Tokyo Metropolitan Katsushikano High School [ja], playing as a first baseman on the baseball team. He hit a total of 38 home runs during his high school career.[1]
After high school, Bright played college baseball at Jobu University, members of the Kankoshin Student Baseball Federation [ja]. He was a reserve player until his third year due to his struggles hitting curveballs, but had a breakout season in year four.[1][4] Bright led his team to a league title, recording three home runs and 12 runs batted in (RBI) in the tournament and earning most valuable player honors.[1][2] He then hit two home runs in the 2021 All Japan University Baseball Championship [ja], though they were defeated by Keio University in the semifinals.[2]
He submitted his name to the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) draft on September 24, 2021.[5]
Professional career
On October 11, 2021, Bright was selected by the Chunichi Dragons in the first round of the 2021 NPB draft.[3] He signed his first professional contract on December 7, agreeing to an annual salary of ¥16 million (US$145,785.88) and a signing bonus of ¥100 million (US$911,161.73).[4] Bright chose the 42 jersey number in honor of Jackie Robinson.[6][7]
As a rookie in 2022, Bright suffered wrist and shoulder injuries that prevented him from playing with the first squad.[8] Instead, he recorded three home runs and 10 RBI in 46 Western League games played with the second squad.[8][9]
References
- ^ a b c d e "MVPを獲得した上武大・ブライト健太 ガーナ人の父を持つ長距離砲の歩みは「リアルドカベン」". Sponichi (in Japanese). May 22, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c Masashi Ogawa (July 10, 2021). "上武大のブライト健太、1年間の取り組みが実り打撃開花". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "【ドラフト】中日1位ブライト健太、寮脱走しても迎えに来た仲間に恩返しを". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). October 11, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "中日1位ブライト健太が仮契約「打点王取りたい」中村紀洋コーチの助言熱望". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). December 7, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ "ガーナ人の父を持つ大砲候補 上武大ブライト健太らプロ志望届". Chunichi.co.jp (in Japanese). September 24, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
- ^ Shigeru Seno (September 12, 2022). "Jackie Robinson Museum highlights legacy off the baseball field". Nikkei Asia. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
- ^ "中日D1位・ブライト健太の背番号は「42」 J・ロビンソンの永久欠番と同じ". Sanspo (in Japanese). December 17, 2021. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
- ^ a b "【中日】ブライト健太が200万円減の1400万円でサイン「ケガが多いのはプロ失格」相次ぐ故障を猛省". Hochi News (in Japanese). November 20, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "【中日】ブライト健太「このままでは3年で見切りをつけられてしまう」〝塩見塾〟入りも悲壮感". Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
External links
- NPB profile
- Chunichi Dragons profile
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- v
- t
- e
- 7 Akira Neo
- 11 Shinnosuke Ogasawara
- 12 Shinji Tajima
- 13 Yūki Hashimoto
- 14 Shō Kusaka
- 16 Shō Iwasaki
- 17 Yūya Yanagi
- 18 Kōdai Umetsu
- 19 Hiroto Takahashi
- 20 Hideaki Wakui
- 22 Yūdai Ōno
- 24 Kōji Fukutani
- 26 Taisei Ishimori
- 28 Hiroto Mori
- 31 Reia Nakachi
- 33 Daisuke Sobue
- 34 Hiroto Fuku
- 36 Kōnosuke Fukuda
- 38 Takahiro Matsuba
- 41 Akiyoshi Katsuno
- 46 Yūgo Umeno
- 47 Yoshiki Sunada
- 48 Shōta Habu
- 50 Tatsuya Shimizu
- 54 Kento Fujishima
- 59 Kōki Saitō
- 64 Shōta Fukushima
- 67 Kōtarō Ueda
- 90 Shinya Matsuyama
- 91 Humberto Mejía
- 92 Raidel Martínez
- 93 Michael Feliz
- 96 Ryūma Katō
- 35 Takuya Kinoshita
- 39 Shingo Usami
- 43 Taisei Miya
- 49 Takuma Katō
- 57 Ryūnosuke Yamaasa
- 58 Kōta Ishibashi
- 2 Mikiya Tanaka
- 3 Shūhei Takahashi
- 5 Kaito Muramatsu
- 6 Shō Nakata
- 9 Hiroyuki Nakajima
- 25 Takaya Ishikawa
- 27 Keishi Tsuda
- 29 Rintarō Tsujimoto
- 32 Masami Ishigaki
- 37 Shōnosuke Hama
- 45 Ryūku
- 60 Yasuhiro Yamamoto
- 66 Dayán Viciedo
- 68 Hiroki Fukunaga
- 95 Christián Rodríguez
- 97 Seishū Higuchi
- 99 Orlando Calixte
- 00 Gōki Oda
- 1 Yūki Okabayashi
- 4 Kōsuke Ukai
- 8 Yōhei Ōshima
- 30 Hironori Miyoshi
- 42 Kenta Bright
- 44 Seiji Kawagoe
- 51 Seiji Uebayashi
- 52 Shōhei Katō
- 53 Shunta Gotō
- 55 Seiya Hosokawa
- 63 Yutaro Itayama
- 94 Alex Dickerson
- 201 Ryūshin Takeuchi
- 202 Frank Álvarez
- 204 Tsubasa Katō
- 205 Kenshin Kakigoshi
- 206 Yūta Matsukihira
- 207 Mao Hoshino
- 208 Shō Ishikawa
- 209 Yūma Fukumoto
- 210 Toshiya Okada
- 212 Tento Nonaka
- 213 Akio Moriyama
- 214 Ren Kondō
- 215 Tōki Hiwatari
- 216 Towa Kikuta
- 218 Rii Kawakami
- 220 Carlos Monier
coaching
- Manager: 73 Kazuyoshi Tatsunami
- Head coach: 88 Atsushi Kataoka
- Pitching coaches: 76 Akinori Ōtsuka, 83 Daisuke Yamai
- Battery coach: 80 Kōhei Oda
- Hitting coaches: 75 Kazuhiro Wada, 86 Yoshinori Ueda
- Baserunning/defense coaches: 71 Naomichi Donoue, 79 Takayuki Ōnishi
coaching
- Manager: 89 Kazuki Inoue
- Pitching/development coach: 77 Eiji Ochiai
- Pitching coach: 82 Takuya Asao
- Hitting coaches: 84 Nobumasa Fukuda, 78 Masahiko Morino
- Battery coach: 72 Shōta Ōno
- Baserunning/defense coaches: 81 Yūto Morikoshi, 87 Yutaka Nakamura
- Position player development coach: 85 Hiroyuki Watanabe