Orix Shota Abe pitcher (33) is making a breakthrough with his "right-killing shot". The right-hander, who is trying out a sidethrower this fall, made his first appearance at the Kochi camp on April 7. He said, "I'm shooting naturally even if you look at the numbers on my straight ball. The first time I saw a straight ball, I knew it was going to be a natural shot, but if I couldn't get my arm down, it would be meaningless. bullpen right-handed hitter hitter

After making only 16 appearances this season, his lowest since establishing himself in the first team in 2012, Abe has decided to change his style. "Rather than a pretty ball, I want to aim for a ball that hitter don't like or are afraid of," he said, and his ideal is to shake up the batters with a lateral movement, including slider. This season, the team's batting average against the league's Home Run leader, Nippon-Ham 's Reyes, was .296, giving up seven home runs, tying for the most in any matchup. If Abe can make a comeback as a "right-handed killer," expectations will likely rise for a victory over their arch-rival.

On this day, he recorded a speed of 140 km/h, which he rarely saw in bullpen even when he was an overhand pitcher. "The way the power was transmitted wasn't bad. (In the future) I'd like to see how hitter react," he said, outlining his steady improvement. (Nambu Shunta)

Related News

... [Orix] pitcher Fifth-year right fielder and captain "I want to be a player that people think, 'Abe is the only one for this job' when I'm in trouble.
​Orix】"Two-faced" Yoshihisa Hirano coaches for the first time in fall practice, "I had a lot to think about.
​Japan's high school representative, Yohta Abe, is the sixth player in history to play in a pep rally.
​Yakult and The Giants are looking forward to the "Promised Day" of Togo... After being out of the lineup, he is back under control, and manager Abe encourages him, "I'm rooting for you, even though you're my enemy.
​Orix】Shota Abe reveals his sidestroke challenge at age 32: "I can't go on like this. I think it's better to make a bold change.