Nippon Professional Baseball Gold Glove Award Winners

The 2024 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Gold Glove Award winners in Japan were announced on November 12 from the Central and Pacific League.

The players that have won the NPB Gold Glove Award in the CL for the 2024 season are Yomiuri Giants starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, Yokohama DeNA BayStars catcher Yudai Yamamoto, Yomiuri Giants first baseman Kazuma Okamoto, Yomiuri Giants second baseman Naoki Yoshikawa, Yomiuri Giants third baseman Hayato Sakamoto, Hiroshima Toyo Carp shortstop Masaya Yano, and outfielders Yuki Okabayahsi from the Chunichi Dragons, Koji Chikamoto from the Hanshin Tigers, and Shogo Akiyama from the Hiroshima Carp.

Yamamoto, Yoshikawa, and Yano won their first NPB CL Gold Glove Award.

Sugano has won the NPB Central League Gold Glove Award four times previously from 2016-20, Okamoto has won three in 2022 and 2021 at third base, Sakamoto has won six and five at shortstop prior in 2016-17 and from 2019-21, Okabayahi has won from 2022-23, Chikamoto has won from 2021-23, and Akiyama won with the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2013, and from 2015-19.

All the players listed with their current CL team have won previously with the same organization except Akiyama.

During the 2023 regular season, the players that won the NPB Gold Glove Award were Yokohama DeNA BayStars starting pitcher Katsuki Azuma, Hanshin Tigers catcher Seishiro Sakamoto, Hanshin Tigers first baseman Yusuke Ohyama, Hanshin Tigers second baseman Takumu Nakano, Yokohama DeNA BayStars third baseman Hayato Sakamoto, Hiroshima Toyo Carp shortstop Masaya Yano, and outfielders Yuki Okabayashi from the Chunichi Dragons, Koji Chikamoto from the Hanshin Tigers,

In the PL the players that have won the NPB Gold Glove Award are Fukuoka Softbank Hawks starting pitcher Livan Moinelo, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks catcher Takuya Kai, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks first baseman Hotaka Yamamkawa, Rakuten Golden Eagles second baseman Hiroto Kobukata, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks third baseman Ryoya Kurihara, Saitama Seibu Lions shortstop Sosuke Genda, and outfielders Ukyo Shuto from the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, Chusei Mannami from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and Ryosuke Tatsumi from the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.

Kai has won the NPB Pacific League Gold Glove Award from 2017-22, Genda has won from 2018-23, and Tatsumi from 2021-23.

Kurihara, Kobukata, Yamakata, and Shuto won their first NPB Pacific League Gold Glove Award.

Mannami has won the NPB Pacific League Gold Glove Award in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024.

Moinelo is the only foreign player to win a Gold Glove during the 2024 NPB regular season, in addition to his first.

Last season, Orix Buffaloes starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Orix Buffaloes catcher Kenya Wakatsuki, Fukuoka Softbank Hawks first baseman Akira Nakamura, Chiba Lotte Marines second baseman Shogo Nakamura, Orix Buffaloes third baseman Yuma Mune, Saitama Seibu Lions shortstop Sosuke Genda, and outfielders Kensuke Kondoh from the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks, Chusei Mannami from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, and Ryosuke Tatsumi from the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles that won the 2023 NPB Gold Glove Award.

World Baseball Network has categorized each individual defensive statistics from the CL and PL in the 2024 NPB regular season.

2024 NPB Gold Glove Winners:

*2024 ASG Selection

PS – Pitching Stats

FS – Fielding Stat

CH – Chances

PO – Putouts

A – Assists

FP – Fielding Percentage

Central League:

Pitcher:

Kanagawa, Japan – Tomoyuki Sugano (Yomiuri Giants) – PS – 15-3, 1.67 ERA, 24 GS, 3 CG, 1 SHO, 156.2 IP, 132 H, 29 ER, 6 HR, 16 BB, 111 K, 0.945 WHIP

FS – 24 GS, 23 CH, 7 PO, 15 A, 1 E, 1 DP, .957 FP

Catcher:

*Osaka, Japan – Yudai Yamamoto (Yokohama DeNA BayStars) – FS – 106 G, 783 CH, 705 PO, 76 A, 2 E, 6 DP, .997 FP

First Baseman:

*Gojo, Nara, Japan – Kazuma Okamoto (Yomiuri Giants) – FS – 130 G, 1,066 CH, 997 PO, 65 A, 4 E, 74 DP, .996 FP

3B – 29 G, 61 CH, 14 PO, 45 A, 2 E, 4 DP, .967 FP

OF – 15 G, 12 CH, 9 PO, 3 A, 0 E

Second Baseman:

Hashima, Gifu, Japan – Naoki Yoshikawa (Yomiuri Giants) – FS – 143 G, 821 CH, 331 PO, 485 A, 5 E, 94 DP, .994 FP

Third Baseman:

Itami, Hyogo, Japan – Hayato Sakamoto (Yomiuri Giants) – FS – 104 G, 252 CH, 66 PO, 180 A, 6 E, 20 DP, .976 FP

Shortstop:

Osaka, Japan – Masaya Yano (Hiroshima Carp) – FS – 132 G, 597 CH, 199 PO, 389 A, 9 E, 74 DP, .985 FP

Outfielders:

Matsusaka, Mie, Japan – Yuki Okabayashi (Chunichi Dragons) – FS – 117 G, 233 CH, 227 PO, 6 A, 0 E, 3 DP

*Awaji, Hyogo, Japan – Koji Chikamoto (Hanshin Tigers) – FS – 141 G, 304 CH, 294 PO, 6 A, 4 E, 2 DP, .987 FP

*Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan – Shogo Akiyama (Hiroshima Carp) – FS – 135 G, 308 CH, 305 PO, 3 A, 0 E, 1 DP

Pacific League:

Pitcher:

Pinar del Rio, Cuba – Livan Moinelo (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) – PS – 11-5, 1.88 ERA, 25 G, 2 CG, 163 IP, 107 H, 34 ER, 11 HR, 47 BB, 155 K, 0.945 WHIP

FS – 25 G, 31 CH, 6 PO, 25 A, 0 E, 2 DP

Catcher:

Oita, Japan – Takuya Kai (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) – FS – 117 G, 899 CH, 826 PO, 72 A, 1 E, 5 DP, .999 FP, 4 PB

First Baseman:

*Naha, Okinawa, Japan – Hotaka Yamakawa (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) – FS – 98 G, 778 CH, 719 PO, 54 A, 5 E, 62 DP, .994 FP

Second Baseman:

Sayo-gun, Hyogo, Japan – Hiroto Kobukata (Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles) – FS – 131 G, 710 CH, 308 PO, 397 A, 5 E, 87 DP, .993 FP

Third Baseman:

Fukui, Japan – Ryoya Kurihara (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) – FS – 139 G, 315 CH, 76 PO, 231 A, 8 E, 18 DP, .975 FP

Shortstop:

*Oita, Japan – Sosuke Genda (Saitama Seibu Lions) – FS – 143 G, 551 CH, 209 PO, 338 A, 4 E, 67 DP, .993 FP

Outfielders:

Ota, Gunma, Japan – Ukyo Shuto (Fukuoka Softbank Hawks) – FS – 121 G, 270 CH, 261 PO, 8 A, 1 E, 2 DP, .996 FP

*Nerima, Tokyo, Japan – Chusei Mannami (Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters) – FS – 134 G, 260 CH, 243 PO, 11 A, 6 E, 1 DP, .977 FP

*Kobe, Hyogo, Japan – Ryosuke Tatsumi (Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles) – FS – 143 G, 404 CH, 397 PO, 5 A, 2 E, 1 DP, .995 FP