Nippon-Ham of Shun Mizutani outfielder renewed his contract in ESCON on April 4. He signed for 50 million yen (all amounts are estimates), almost double his current season's salary of 27 million yen.
When asked about his contract, he laughed and said, "It's half. Half. You can explore various things with this. It's an increase." In 2023, his first year after the transfer, he received an annual salary of 5.6 million yen. In two years, it has nearly doubled, and he vowed to break the 100 million mark next season, saying, "Next season, I'll try my best to get one more. I know it's not good to be so explicit, but I'll do my best to get one more."
His bright yellow suit instantly brightened up the atmosphere. In February of this year, he became the first ambassador for Nago Pineapple Park, where the team is based in Nago. "Last year I wore a pink suit, but since it's a once-a-year milestone, I thought I'd do it every year since I'd already put it up. The reason I chose this color is that this season was a year in which we were able to spread the word about pineapples. In that sense, I think yellow was the theme color for this year. I've been thinking about it since around September. I'll only be wearing it for one day," he said with a laugh.
This season, he was delayed due to an injury to his left side, and only played in 87 games. Nevertheless, he hit a career-high 12 Home Run, had 41 RBI, and posted solid numbers with a batting average of .277. "If you look at it from a numerical standpoint, people around me would say it was a good season. I was able to break some career highs, and I think it was a season that gave me confidence that I was able to bounce back from the middle of the season and produce these numbers, but there were also frustrating times. It was a disappointing year," he reflected.
He has set the "Triple 4" as his goal for next season. "My goal is the "Triple 4." When I say "Triple 4," many people probably imagine a batting average of .400, 40 home runs, and 40 stolen base, but I want to use 444 or more at-bats and 444 or more defense inning as a stepping stone. There is also the required number of at-bats (443). I want to go beyond that and get closer to becoming a superstar. I want to use the Triple 4 as a stepping stone," he said.
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