Tsuyoshi Tanimura, who joined Lotte as their top development draft pick, played in 44 games this season, his first year as a professional, finishing with a batting average of .144, Home Run, and four RBI.
Tanimura said, "I've always tried to have a powerful swing, but I've also been improving my contact power," and has been practicing with wooden bats since high school. He has started his professional career with enthusiasm, saying, "I hope to be able to contribute to the team with my batting, with a strong swing like Masataka Yoshida."
On March 18th, he made his professional debut as the ninth batter and third baseman in a game against Oisix. In his third at-bat in the sixth inning with the score tied at 1-1 and two outs and no runner on base, he hit the fourth pitch, a 136 km/h cutter thrown by Shuta Hiwatari with two balls and one strike, to the right field line for his first professional hit, getting off to a good start.
On March 21, he played as the ninth batter and third baseman in a game against Seibu second team. In his first at-bat in the third inning with the score at 0-0 and a runner on first base, he took a slider thrown by Hibiki Shinohara on the outside corner with two balls and one strike and hit doble to left field, making it his second consecutive game with hit and his first long hit since turning pro.
He had no hit in four consecutive games from Seibu second team game on March 23rd to Rakuten second team game on April 16th, but in starting line-up start since Seibu second team game on March 23rd, against the Yakult second team on April 20th, his second at-bat with one out and no runner on base and the score at 1-3 in the fifth inning, he said, "I was able to hit the ball well, so I think it was a good swing for me." hit hit a single in front of right field, a 126 km/ fastball thrown inside by Shimokawa Shunsuke with one ball and one strike, in a batting style reminiscent of his teammate Katsuya Kakunaka Katsuya.
It had been a while since his last appearance in regular season, but he reflected on himself, saying, "I haven't had many opportunities to play, but I feel like I've been able to gain a good feel for real games."
On July 8th, in a game against Nippon-Ham second team, with the score at 8-6 and one out and a runner on second base, he came in as a pinch hitter for Acevedo, and hit a 145 km/h fastball thrown by Koki Matsuoka after one strike, which hit powerfully to right field. Furthermore, in a game against Rakuten Fighters' second team on July 11th, with the score at 1-3 and a runner on second base and no outs, he came in as a pinch hitter for Seiichiro Oshita, and said, "The first pitch was a straight ball, but I was able to hit it with my straight pitch, so I was glad." He hit a 143 km/h fastball thrown by Naoki Hihata near the right field pole for his first professional Home Run run, tying the game for two runs.
Before the Fresh All-Star game, he played in 14 games with a batting average of .185, Home Run, and three RBI. "I don't often get to play in games, but I'll do my best to produce results with the few opportunities I have," he said, looking back on the first half of the season.
After the Fresh All-Star break, he increased his playing time, starting line-up in 13 games in August and 9 of the 12 games in September. However, after the Fresh All-Star break, he played in 30 games, batting .130 RBI.
In the Miyazaki Phoenix League held after the end of the regular season, he will participate in the Japan Winter League Advance 2025 starting November 22 if he records multiple hit in the October 6 Chunichi and October 8 Orix matches. He will continue to gain experience in real games during the off-season in preparation for next season.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
