Taishi Ota

Taishi Ota (大田泰示)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 198 lb.

• High School Tokaidai Sagami High School

• Born June 9, 1990 in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Japan

Taishi Ota went to the same high school where Tatsunori Hara had starred. Ota became the cleanup man as a sophomore, then captain as a junior. He hit 65 homers in high school and was also timed at 91 mph. Hara's Yomiuri Giants took him in the first round in 2008. The Giants gave him Hideki Matsui's old uniform number (55) and dorm room, both unused since Matsui had left Yomiuri.

Ota debuted for Yomiuri in 2009, striking out in his lone at-bat, facing Brian Sikorski. He was 0 for 6 in 2010. He then joined the Japanese national team for the 2010 Intercontinental Cup.

Sources include japanbaseballdaily.com