Yuichi Matsumoto
| Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto | |
|---|---|
| Tokyo Yakult Swallows – No. 82 | |
| First baseman / Outfielder / Coach | |
| Born: December 18, 1980 São Paulo, Brazil | |
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
| NPB debut | |
| May 30, 2002, for the Yakult Swallows | |
| Last NPB appearance | |
| October 4, 2015, for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows | |
| NPB statistics | |
| Batting average | .263 |
| Home runs | 11 |
| Runs batted in | 115 |
| Stats at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
| |
Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto (松元 ユウイチ, Matsumoto Yūichi; born December 18, 1980) is a Japanese-Brazilian former professional baseball first baseman who played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. He is one the lead managers of the main Brazil national baseball team and one of coaches of Tokyo Yakult Swallows
He was born in São Paulo, in 1980. He signed with the Yakult Swallows in 1999.[1] Though initially ineligible to be part of the first-squad roster due to the cap on foreign players, he gained Japanese citizenship in 2004 and played with the first team with increasing regularity.[2]
Matsumoto represented the Brazil at the 1999 Pan American Games and at the 2002 Intercontinental Cup. At the 2013 World Baseball Classic, where Brazil qualified for the first time, he was named the team's captain.[3]
In 2022, he managed the Swallows for a few games while the main manager was recovering from COVID-19.
In 2025, Matsumoto was appointed manager of the Brazil national baseball team for the 2026 World Baseball Classic qualifiers; he was the first native Brazilian manager to helm the team in WBC competition.[4] Brazil defeated Germany in the qualifiers to clinch a spot in the main tournament in 2026.[5]
At end of 2025, he became head coach for Swallows.[6]
References
- ^ "日系ブラジル人のユウイチ WBCブラジル代表に内定" (in Japanese). Sports Nippon. 2012-09-21. Retrieved 2013-03-13.
- ^ "BASEBALL/ Swallows coach to manage Brazil team aiming for WBC comeback". The Asahi Shimbun. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ^ "Japanese roots spread wide at World Baseball Classic". The Japan Times. 7 March 2013. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Daniel Yuichi Matsumoto Preparing for WBC Qualifiers". World Baseball Network. 25 January 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ "Tucson Qualifier: Brazil claim last ticket to World Baseball Classic 2026". WBSC. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ "ヤクルト、ヘッドコーチに松元ユウイチ氏 打撃コーチに坪井智哉氏". Sanspo (in Japanese). 2025-10-14. Retrieved 2025-11-15.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)