In 2023, Yamamoto with 16 wins will be transferred to the Dodgers, and Fuku Yamazaki with 11 wins will be transferred to Nihon-Ham.
In 2023, Orix missed being number one in Japan for the second consecutive year, but became the first team in the 21st century to win three consecutive league titles. He has joined the ranks of the consistently winning team, but will be missing this season ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Fukuya Yamazaki, who reached double figures (11 wins) for the first time. While this will be a major setback for the team’s quest for a fourth consecutive title, team alumnus Tomotaka Sakaguchi predicts: “Next time, there is a high possibility that the team will win with their defenders.”
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In 2023, they won the Pacific League with a record of 86 wins, 53 losses and 4 ties and a winning percentage of .619, a 15.5 game lead over second-placed Lotte. Ace Yamamoto earned “four pitching titles” for the third straight year with 16 wins (6 losses), 169 strikeouts and a 1.21 ERA. Additionally, Fuku Yamazaki had 11 wins (5 losses), Daiya Miyagi had 10 wins (4 losses), and opening pitcher Shun Hei Yamashita had 9 wins (3 losses) and was named Rookie of the Year. Together, they made a solid pitcher. personal.
One of the factors that supported the team’s third consecutive title was the “No. 1 pitching staff of 12 teams,” but Yamamoto and Fuku Yamazaki, who had a combined 27 wins (11 losses), will be missing in 2024. Sakaguchi said, “It’s pretty painful to lose a pitcher who scored 16 runs,” but added, “It’s possible that talented young pitchers like Yamashita, Higashi and Soya can compensate to some extent.” We look forward to the revitalization.
There are plenty of potential starting pitchers, including Kyosuke Saito, who is a high school sophomore, though he has no first-team experience, and Ren Mukuro, who underwent Tommy John surgery last September and pitched in the Phoenix League. Coach Satoshi Nakajima’s approach to hiring is: “I will never force myself to do anything. I will rotate players who are in good condition and let them gain experience and create a form that will allow them to compete in the crucial mid-season phase “. period.” It is also important that the environment is created in which players can grow.
With the addition of Ryoma Nishikawa, “We will be able to define the players who will participate in the game.”
As for the pitching staff, he sees “higher expectations” than negative factors. On the other hand, regarding the fielders, he said: “We have added a tremendous amount of strength” and “The batting order may change, but we will be able to determine the players who will play in the game.” He cited Ryoma Nishikawa, who moved from Hiroshima in free agency, as a key player..
Nishikawa is a hitmaker who achieved a total batting average of .299 during his eight years in Hiroshima. With his 64 home runs and punching power, the analysis says: “He can also score runs, connect and get on base. He can be dropped to the first and second batters as well as center field. Most importantly, he adds depth to the lineup in batting with players who don’t care about left or right.” He will help ease the burden of Tomoya Mori and Yuma Tongu, and there are high expectations for him as the centerpiece of the batting lineup.
“Tongu was the best hitter with a batting average of 0.30%, but there are few players who currently have such overwhelming numbers. Mori achieved excellent results in his first year of transfer, but his ability to score (2023 ) (508 points, 3rd in the league) is not that high. With the addition of Nishikawa, the scoring ability will definitely increase. The players who have played so far are not available. There are players that Coach Nakajima wants to use fully “I think the competitive spirit within the team will increase as a result of their participation.”
Looking at last year’s draft, they selected high school players with bright futures from No. 1 at no. 4, and from n. 5 have selected pitchers ready to play. “I think the pitching staff is confident that they can complement their pitching with their players. Even high school graduates have the opportunity to play first team if they have the ability. They have a great balance of reinforcement and development. C ‘And there’s no question they’re championship contenders.’ This season, we might see a “fierce batting line-up” reborn.
(Kengo Hashimoto)
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