Hachioji infielder was selected by Seibu as the first pick in the development draft, attended contract negotiations at the Shinjuku Prince Hotel in Tokyo on the 12th and agreed to join the team for a signing bonus of 3.5 million yen and an annual salary of 2.8 million yen (estimated amounts).

He received the best "birthday present." Arai, who just turned 18 on the 11th, accepted the offer and said with a serious expression, "Until now, it hadn't really hit home, but I'm happy, and I'm determined to do my best."

He lives in Tokorozawa, Saitama, and attended high school in Hachioji. Haneda, a left-handed pitcher with a top speed of 160 km/h, is four years older than him and lives in the same hometown. He met him only once in high school, and was surprised by his 191cm tall senior, saying, "He was really big." He laughed, "I wanted to play against Mr. Haneda..." but now they're teammates again. He plans to actively ask questions, saying, "I'd like to ask about the dormitory environment." As an elementary school student, he would also go to MetLife Dome (now Belluna Dome) to watch The Lions games. "I liked Akiyama (currently with Hiroshima)," he said, admiring the same left-handed hitter hitter.

After the Tokyo Tournament in the fall of his second year, he switched from center fielder to short stop. Although he has only recently become infielder, scout Jun Takeshita, who is in charge of him, commented, "He has great potential with his legs and arm. He can also hit the ball in a wide range. I would like him to play in a variety of positions, without being limited to infield, and to also consider outfield."

"He has a knack for it," the scout agreed, and his talent extends beyond baseball. In the winter of his third year of junior high, he came up with the idea of singing and playing the piano in front of the entire school the day before his graduation ceremony, hoping to impress everyone. The song he chose was "Shokai" by RADWIMPS. He had no prior experience, but he practiced at home with the help of his older sister, who was three years older than him and had piano lessons. He gave a brilliant performance. He also tried his hand at guitar. He even tried his hand at Yuri's "Dried Flowers," saying with a smile, "Just the intro." Speaking of piano in baseball, Tonouma Hitori, a character from Shinji Mizushima's baseball manga "Dokaben," often comes to mind, but he replied with a wry smile, "I don't know him."

Currently, he is working hard at building his physique by doing weight training at the gym in preparation for the rookie joint voluntary training in January next year. "I want to be registered as a regular player and eventually become a pillar of Saitama Seibu Lions," says Arai. Armed with his unique talent, he will surprise those around him with his performance and become a star in his hometown of Tokorozawa. (Masami Akimoto)

◆Arai Yuito (born November 11, 2007) is from Saitama Prefecture. He started playing baseball in the second grade of elementary school, playing for Niiza Little League. While at Yanase Junior High School, he played for Tokyo Jingu Senior League. At Hachioji, he took advantage of his athletic ability, being able to run 50 meters in six seconds and throwing at a top speed of 143 km/h, to switch from outfielder to short stop after last fall's tournament. In his final summer game, he lost to Nihon University Third High School in the semi-finals of the West Tokyo Tournament. He is 183 cm tall, throws right-handed, and bats left-handed, and weighs 80 kg.

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