This season, in his fifth year since graduating from high school, Lotte's Shunsuke Nakamori did not pitch in the first team after the All-Star break due to back pain, but he pitched in 25 games and 29 1/3 innings, recording 2 wins, 2 losses, 10 hold, 5 saves, and an ERA of 1.23, demonstrating outstanding stability.

Since the offseason, he has been building a foundation, seeking a strong fastball and training, and his fastball speed has improved, reaching 155 km/h, his fastest ever, on July 2 against Rakuten. breaking ball He also used fork as a decisive pitch, striking out on many occasions, and his strike out rate improved from 4.88 the previous year to 11.05 in strike out. He was selected as a manager's choice to make the All-Star team, and if we look at just the first half of the season, he is one of the players who has made great progress.

After the All-Star break, he was injured and didn't pitch in a single game for the first team, but the results of the efforts he had made showed up. He wasn't able to fight in the first team for a whole year, but has that given him any confidence?

"There are some things that give me confidence, but because I'm injured, there are many areas that I need to improve on."

"I think I've made great progress in weight training and my physical condition, but if I get injured, I won't be able to contribute anything to the team.I'll regret it," he said in harsh words.

The back pain that bothers me is now completely cured and I have started training. This season, he was throwing as a reliever while sticking to the starting lineup, but in discussions with the club, he told him that he could be a starter or reliever next season. And he put his strength into throwing in a good position. If you look at the pitch in the first half, if you can play without injury for one year, that alone will be a big plus for next season.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita