On the 5th, Seibu announced that pitcher Kona Takahashi had expressed his intention to transfer to Major League Baseball using the posting system, and that he had accepted the challenge. The transfer procedures will begin shortly.
Mitsunari Takahashi joined Seibu as the first pick in the 2014 draft. In his first year in 2015, he recorded five wins, including his first professional win, and in his fifth year in 2019, he achieved his first double-digit win total. In 2020, he reached the required number innings pitched, and from that year he reached the required innings pitched pitched for four consecutive years, pitching 175 2/3 innings in 2022. He has had double-digit win for three consecutive years since 2021, and in 2022 he achieved his season-high of 12 wins.
Last season, he pitched in 15 games, struggling with a record of 0 wins and 11 losses and ERA 3.87, but this season he has pitched in 24 games and 148 innings, finishing with a record of 8 wins and 9 losses and ERA of 3.04.
▼ Hiroike Koji, General Manager of the Baseball Team
"He joined the team as the first draft pick, and I think he has pitched really well since his first year. He may not have been completely satisfied with his results over the past two years, but we have always recognized his strong will during that time, and we have decided to respect that will and allow him to take on this challenge. He is someone we can rely on for many inning and is pitcher can properly manage games, so to be honest, we would like him to continue playing for The Lions next season and beyond, but based on his previous wishes, we have decided that this year is the right time for him to take on the challenge."
▼ Mitsunari Takahashi
"I'm really grateful to the team for supporting me in this challenge. I'm glad that they respected my wishes. I'll do my best so that I can be sure that this decision was the right one. I've been expressing my feelings to the team for a long time, and it's been a dream of mine for a long time, so I'm truly grateful for this opportunity."
