{{short description|Japanese baseball player (born 1997)}} {{Infobox NPB player | name = Louis Okoye | image = RE-Louis Okoye20220618.jpg | image_size = | caption = Okoye with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2022 | position = Outfielder | team = Free agent | number = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|7|21}} | birth_place = Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan | bats = Right | throws = Right | debutleague = NPB | debutdate = March 25 | debutyear = 2016 | debutteam = Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles | statyear = 2025 season | statleague = NPB | stat1label = Batting average | stat1value = .230 | stat2label = Home runs | stat2value = 14 | stat3label = Runs batted in | stat3value = 68 | teams = * Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles ({{npby|2016}}–{{npby|2022}}) * Yomiuri Giants ({{npby|2023}}–{{npby|2025}}) |medaltemplates= {{MedalCountry | {{bb|JPN}}}} {{MedalCompetition | U-18 Baseball World Cup}} {{MedalSilver | 2015 Osaka | Team}} | highlights = }} {{Nihongo|'''Louis Okoye'''|オコエ 瑠偉|Okoe Rui|born July 21, 1997}} {{IPAc-en||audio=Ig-Louis Okoy.ogg}} is a Japanese professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles and Yomiuri Giants.
==Career== ===Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles=== Okoye was selected by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the first round of the 2015 Nippon Professional Baseball draft; the pick was compensation for the Eagles losing the lottery to select Taiga Hirasawa.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Baseballer Louis Okoye lauded for tweets on prejudice against multiracial Japanese people|url=https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200617/p2a/00m/0na/026000c|access-date=December 2, 2025|website=mainichi.jp|language=en}}</ref> On June 22, 2016, Okoye hit his first career home run off of Shōta Imanaga of the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Great! Louis Okoye of Rakuten Eagles made the first home run|url=https://favsports.net/japan-baseball/20160622-fs|access-date=December 2, 2025|website=favsports.net|language=en}}</ref> In 51 appearances for the team during his rookie campaign, he batted .185/.233/.294 with one home run, six RBI, and four stolen bases. thumb|Okoye in 2016 Okoye played in 41 games for Rakuten during the 2017 season, hitting .300/.331/.500 with three home runs, 11 RBI, and five stolen bases. After the season, Okoye joined the Cañeros de Los Mochis of the Mexican Pacific League.<ref>{{cite web |first1= |last1= |url=https://www.lmp.mx/noticia/16517 |title=CAÑEROS ADQUIEREN AL OF JAPONES LOUIS OKOYE |work=Sitio Oficial de la Liga Mexicana del Pacífico |language=Spanish |date=November 24, 2017 |accessdate=January 13, 2018 }}</ref> Returning to the club in 2018, he slashed .198/.219/.333 with two home runs, six RBI, and two stolen bases across 44 contests.
On August 13, 2019, Okoye hit for the cycle while playing for Rakuten's farm team, the first in team history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://x.com/npb_reddit/status/1167798709012201473?s=46&t=UN5XGiNzRq3-vt33N7zCTw|title=x.com}}</ref> He made 52 appearances for the Eagles during the year, hitting .182/.242/.300 with three home runs, 15 RBI, and five stolen bases. Okoye did not make an appearance for the main club during the 2020 season, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Okoye made 46 appearances for Rakuten during the 2021 season, slashing .223/.291/.234 with six RBI and three stolen bases. He played in only six games for the Eagles in 2022, going 5-for-25 (.200) with one stolen base.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Okoye, Louis|url=https://npb.jp/bis/eng/players/01505132.html|access-date=December 2, 2025|website=npb.jp|language=en}}</ref>
===Yomiuri Giants=== On December 9, 2022, the NPB held its first ever "active player draft," similar to Major League Baseball's Rule 5 draft; in the draft, Okoye was selected by the Yomiuri Giants.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://x.com/gaijinbaseball/status/1601145726947336193?s=46&t=UN5XGiNzRq3-vt33N7zCTw|title=x.com}}</ref> He made 41 appearances for the Giants in 2023, batting .235/.278/.345 with two home runs, six RBI, and one stolen base. Okoye played in 68 games for Yomiuri during the 2024 campaign, slashing .261/.309/.391 with three home runs, 13 RBI, and four stolen bases.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Louis Okoye - Baseball Statistics|url=https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/209470/|access-date=December 2, 2025| website=thebaseballcube.com|language=en}}</ref>
On May 2, 2025, Okoye underwent an arthroscopic removal of loose bodies in his right elbow, and was ruled out for two months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://x.com/npb_reddit/status/1918313438834782404?s=46&t=UN5XGiNzRq3-vt33N7zCTw|title=x.com}}</ref> He made 61 appearances for Yomiuri during the regular season, batting .246/.291/.310 with five RBI and three stolen bases. On November 29, the Giants released Okoye so he could pursue overseas opportunities.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yomiuri Giants Release Louis Okoye to Pursue Overseas Opportunities|url=https://worldbaseball.com/yomiuri-giants-release-louis-okoye-to-pursue-overseas-opportunities/|access-date=December 2, 2025|website=worldbaseball.com|language=en}}</ref>
===Sultanes de Monterrey=== On February 11, 2026, Okoye signed with the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League.<ref>{{Cite web|title=El japonés Louis Okoye refuerza a Sultanes para este 2026|url=https://www.sultanes.com.mx/noticias/el-japones-louis-okoye-refuerza-a-sultanes-para-este-2026|date=February 11, 2026|access-date=February 12, 2026|website=Sultanes de Monterrey|language=en}}</ref> He made two appearances for Monterrey, going 0-for-6. Okoye was released by the Sultanes on May 1.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LMB: Movimientos en listas de reserva - 1 de mayo de 2026|url=https://lmb.com.mx/noticias/lmb-movimientos-en-listas-de-reserva-1-de-mayo-de-2026|access-date=May 16, 2026|website=lmb.com.mx|language=es}}</ref>
===Tigres de Quintana Roo=== On May 10, 2026, Okoye signed with the Tigres de Quintana Roo of the Mexican League.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LMB: Movimientos en listas de reserva - 10 de mayo de 2026|url=https://lmb.com.mx/noticias/lmb-movimientos-en-listas-de-reserva-10-de-mayo-de-2026|access-date=May 11, 2026|website=lmb.com.mx|language=es}}</ref> In seven games, he went 2-for-16 at the plate with one RBI. Okoye was released by the Tigres on May 21.<ref>{{Cite web|title=LMB: Movimientos en listas de reserva - 21 de mayo de 2026|url=https://lmb.com.mx/noticias/lmb-movimientos-en-listas-de-reserva-21-de-mayo-de-2026|access-date=May 16, 2026|website=lmb.com.mx|language=es}}</ref>
==Personal life== Okoye's mother is Japanese and his father is Igbo from Nigeria.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=January 20, 2017 |title=Meet Nigerian baseball star who can't speak English, local dialect |medium= |language= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_gt_-acxsc |access-date=March 31, 2019 |publisher=Oak TV }}</ref> His younger sister Monica Okoye is a member of the Japan women's national basketball team which won a silver medal at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats|brm=okoye-000lou}} *[http://npb.jp/bis/eng/players/01505132.html NPB stats]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Okoye, Louis}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball people from Tokyo Category:Cañeros de Los Mochis players Category:Japanese expatriate baseball players in Mexico Category:Japanese people of Nigerian descent Category:Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders Category:People from Higashimurayama, Tokyo Category:People of Igbo descent Category:Sportspeople of Nigerian descent Category:Sultanes de Monterrey players Category:Tigres de Quintana Roo players Category:Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles players Category:Yomiuri Giants players Category:21st-century Japanese sportsmen
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