"It's aimed at Japan."
Lotte's Atsuki Taneichi, who was selected to represent Japan in the "LUXAS Samurai Japan Series 2025 Japan vs. Korea" to be held on November 15th and 16th, has been participating in the fall training that began on the 8th and is continuing to prepare for the national team match.
Before the All-Star break this season, Taneichi pitched 86 1/3 innings in 14 games, with a record of 3 wins and 6 losses, 67 strike out, and ERA 3.65. However, he said, "I think the best thing was that I was able to think about my mechanics on my own. I lengthened the individual practice. I left group practice earlier and tried to give myself 30 minutes to an hour to think." After the All-Star break, with the power of fastball back, he pitched 74 1/3 innings in 10 games, with a record of 6 wins and 2 losses, 94 strike out, and ERA of 1.45.
He achieved quality starts (three earned runs) in nine of his ten games, and missed the QS against Nippon-Ham on October 4th. He was originally scheduled to pitch five inning, and closer five runs innings. He recorded a personal best of 15 strike out in a single game against Nippon-Ham on September 27th, and has recorded double-digit strike out four times since the All-Star break. His 41 strike out in August and 48 strike out in September and October are league-leading records.
Although the team ended up with a disappointing result, his selection for the national team was understandable when you look at his pitch performance after the All-Star break. Taneichi has maintained the same drive and inquisitiveness to improve baseball skills since his rookie days. Perhaps his constant striving to improve led to his success in the summer and beyond, despite his struggles in the early spring.
"I try to find pitch tips every day during practice. After finishing one or two pitches each day, I decide on a theme, try it again the next day, and see what went well or badly, and then improve. That was fun during the season."
It is because I practice every day using my head that I find inspiration and hints. I have been steadily building on this every day since I turned professional, which is why I am where I am today.
Ever since he became a professional baseball player, Taneichi has always said, "I want to become an overwhelming pitcher. During an interview at the Ishigakijima Spring Camp on February 9 of this year, he said, "I've been saying this for a long time, but I want to become an overwhelming pitcher. I don't want to be a good pitcher, I want to be an amazing pitcher. pitcher I don't want to be like, "This guy has it all together," but I want to be more than just a good fork player, I want to be a guy who stands out from the others, who is more than just a good player. fork I want to be more outstanding than other people. I want to raise the average speed of my fastball as well as my fastball," he said.
When asked if he felt he was getting closer to his goal of becoming an "overwhelming pitcher" as of the time of the interview on October 12, 2025, he humbly replied, "Just a little, yes." Judging from pitch after the All-Star break, it seemed like he had joined the ranks of Japan's leading pitcher, but Atsuki Taneichi.
He is preparing to represent Japan this fall, and when asked what he wants to focus on in his training, he replied, "I'm training to improve baseball skills, so it's no different from during the season." I felt that this was a rather rude question to ask, as Taneichi thinks about baseball 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
He entered the pros as the sixth pick in the draft, and while climbing the ladder step by step, he underwent Tommy John surgery and was out for a long time. Since making a full recovery in 2013, he has shown improvement every year, and since August, Taneichi has captivated fans every time he pitches. In order to be selected for the Japanese national team for the WBC to be held in March next year, he needs to make a strong impression at the Samurai Japan Series in November. We hope he will make the best preparations and perform at his best for the Samurai Japan Series.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
