Munenori Kawasaki

Born: 6/3/1981 in Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan

MLB Debut: 2012-04-07 | Final Game: 2016-10-02

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 175 lbs

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Biography

Munenori Kawasaki, born in 1981, was a Japanese professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 2012 to 2016. Known for his versatility as a position player, Kawasaki played primarily as an infielder and was celebrated for his enthusiastic playing style and charismatic personality on the field. He made his MLB debut on April 7, 2012, with the Seattle Mariners, and later played for the Toronto Blue Jays, concluding his career on October 2, 2016. Over the course of 276 games, Kawasaki recorded 150 hits, including one home run, and drove in 51 runs, all while maintaining a batting average of .237. His speed on the bases was evidenced by his 12 stolen bases throughout his career. Although he played during a time dominated by powerful hitters, Kawasaki's contributions were often highlighted by his tenacity and ability to perform in clutch situations, earning him a devoted fanbase. His journey from Japan to the MLB served as an inspiration for many players aspiring to bridge the gap between these two baseball cultures.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
276	633	80	150	18	6	1	51	12	70	119	0.237	0.320	0.289	0.609	-1431.2

Career AVG .237 vs. league average .254 across their career seasons — 6.6% below league average.

Career OBP .320 vs. league average .318 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .289 vs. league average .402 across their career seasons — 28.1% below league average.

Career OPS 0.609 vs. league average 0.720 across their career seasons — 15.4% below 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
2012	SEA	AL	61	104	13	20	1	0	0	7	2	8	18	0.192	.254 (-24%)	.318 (-20%)	.405 (-50%)	.724 (-37%)	-641.8
2013	TOR	AL	96	240	27	55	6	5	1	24	7	32	41	0.229	.253 (-10%)	.317 (+3%)	.396 (-22%)	.714 (-11%)	-415.7
2014	TOR	AL	82	240	31	62	7	1	0	17	1	22	49	0.258	.251 (+3%)	.313 (+4%)	.386 (-23%)	.700 (-11%)	-373.7
2015	TOR	AL	23	28	6	6	2	0	0	2	0	4	6	0.214	—	—	—	—	0.0
2016	CHC	NL	14	21	3	7	2	0	0	1	2	4	5	0.333	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	119	81	129	240	7	49
3B	24	20	7	41	2	1
SS	102	78	131	203	5	52

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2012	SEA	2B	10	4	6	13	0	3
2012	SEA	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
2012	SEA	SS	38	25	50	65	0	13
2013	TOR	2B	18	16	26	45	1	6
2013	TOR	SS	60	51	79	136	5	39
2014	TOR	2B	64	49	78	139	5	28
2014	TOR	3B	19	18	6	37	2	1
2014	TOR	SS	4	2	2	2	0	0
2015	TOR	2B	17	8	9	29	0	6
2015	TOR	3B	3	2	1	4	0	0
2016	CHN	2B	10	4	10	14	1	6
2016	CHN	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0