Kosuke Fukudome

Born: 4/26/1977 in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan

MLB Debut: 2008-03-31 | Final Game: 2012-06-03

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 200 lbs

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Biography

Kosuke Fukudome was a Japanese professional baseball player who made a significant impact in Major League Baseball during his career from 2008 to 2012. Born in 1977, Fukudome transitioned from a successful career in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to the MLB, where he quickly garnered attention for his disciplined hitting and strong defensive skills. Playing primarily as an outfielder, he appeared in a total of 596 games and achieved 498 hits, including 42 home runs and 195 RBIs, with a career batting average of .258. His ability to get on base and provide speed on the bases was evident in his 29 stolen bases. Fukudome's most notable achievement came in 2008 when he was selected as an All-Star, showcasing his talent in a league filled with elite competition. His arrival in the MLB coincided with a growing interest in Japanese players among American fans, following the successful careers of stars like Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui. Fukudome's style of play, characterized by a keen eye at the plate and solid defensive capabilities, helped pave the way for future generations of Japanese players in the MLB. After concluding his American career in 2012, he returned to Japan, leaving behind a legacy as a bridge between Japanese and American baseball.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
596	1929	264	498	111	13	42	195	29	307	402	0.258	0.359	0.395	0.754	1704.9

Career AVG .258 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .359 vs. league average .326 across their career seasons — +10.2% above league average.

Career SLG .395 vs. league average .408 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.754 vs. league average 0.734 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
2008	CHC	NL	150	501	79	129	25	3	10	58	12	81	104	0.257	.263 (-2%)	.333 (+8%)	.416 (-9%)	.749 (-1%)	52.7
2009	CHC	NL	146	499	79	129	38	5	11	54	6	93	112	0.259	.262 (-1%)	.332 (+13%)	.417 (+1%)	.750 (+6%)	860.0
2010	CHC	NL	130	358	45	94	20	2	13	44	7	64	67	0.263	.257 (+2%)	.325 (+14%)	.402 (+9%)	.728 (+11%)	948.4
2011	CHC	NL	87	293	33	80	15	2	3	13	2	46	57	0.273	.255 (+7%)	.320 (+17%)	.399 (-8%)	.719 (+3%)	360.2
2011	CLE	AL	59	237	26	59	12	1	5	22	2	15	53	0.249	.255 (-2%)	.320 (-7%)	.399 (-7%)	.719 (-7%)	360.2
2012	CHW	AL	24	41	2	7	1	0	0	4	0	8	9	0.171	—	—	—	—	-213.4

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
3	10	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	0.100

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
2008	NLDS1	CHN	3	10	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	0.100

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	549	482	1066	22	12	5

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2008	CHN	OF	143	126	255	6	5	0
2009	CHN	OF	140	129	305	5	2	2
2010	CHN	OF	110	87	190	4	1	1
2011	CHN	OF	82	72	151	5	2	0
2011	CLE	OF	59	57	143	2	2	2
2012	CHA	OF	15	11	22	0	0	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Left Field	10
Center Field	139
Right Field	426
Designated Hitter	5

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
2012	CHA	AL	$500,000
2011	CHN	NL	$14,500,000
2010	CHN	NL	$14,000,000
2009	CHN	NL	$12,500,000
2008	CHN	NL	$7,000,000
Total Career Earnings			$48,500,000

Award Voting History

Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max	Votes First
2008	Rookie of the Year	NL	6th	4.0	160	0