Nippon-Ham infielder Hideki Yamagata renewed his contract at ESCON on the 25th, signing for 16 million yen (estimated amount), an increase of 7.7 million yen.
Despite being a rookie, he established himself in the first team thanks to his strong defense ability in the second baseman position, and in September he hit two consecutive home runs off Softbank 's Moinelo, posting a batting average of .232 with three Home Run and 11 RBI in 84 games. He also hit a home run off Uesawa in the final S of the CS, and was named by manager Shinjo to be in the starting starting line-up for next season's opening game.
He gave himself a score of 65 points for his first season. "There were a lot of good things, but I also made some mistakes and had other experiences, so that's 50 points. It was great to see the process of how I can improve even more, so I'd give that 15 points," he explained.
When he joined the team, he was seen as a "defense expert," but he also achieved results with the bat, and reflected, "It wasn't what I expected, but it was better than I imagined. I thought I would hit zero home runs in home run. I feel like I've been betrayed in a good way."
At the opening of the Fan Fest, she gave a wonderful piano solo performance. "When we were talking about the appraisal, someone jokingly said, 'I forgot to bring the piano.' If they'll include the piano appraisal, I think I'll ask them to do it next year," she said with a smile.
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・ [Nippon-Ham] Yuma Imagawa 's contract renewal with slight increase in salary. With the birth of his first child, he wants to "remain a professional baseball player for even one more day."
・ [Nippon-Ham] Kengo Yoshida renews his contract with the team, saying, "I want to enter next season as a more mature player."
・ [Nippon-Ham] Yuki Umebayashi renews his contract, planning to travel to the US again for joint training with Betts: "Even if they say it'll only be about three hours..."
・ [Hiroshima] Nakazaki Shota's comeback has been renewed for 62 million yen, an increase of 10 million yen. "I was patient and they used me."
[Softbank] Four promising young players, including Ihine, who have gained experience in the first team, have been upgraded. "I was able to imagine myself in the future."
