Seibu Lions Yuto Koga catcher (26) signed a contract renewal at the team's office in Tokorozawa, Saitama, on May 5 for 66 million yen (estimated amount), an increase of 20 million yen.
"I'm happy with the amount, but I'm not satisfied with the amount or the team's performance. I want to aim higher. Because I've received such good reviews, I'm determined to do better next year," he said firmly.
This season, his fourth year as a professional, he played in 112 games as the starting catcher, with 66 hit 7 Home Run, 21 RBI, and a batting average of .228. He changed to the no-step batting style midway through the season, which improved his batting, and he decided, "Next year I'll just use the no-step batting style. It's showing in my results, so I think I'll keep it that way all year."
The team selected Taiga Kojima, a powerful catcher from Meiji University, with their first catcher in this fall's draft. Manager Nishiguchi has stated that Kojima will attend first-team training camp next spring, and a fierce battle for the starting catcher is expected, but he is determined to face the challenge head-on, saying, "I think this will be the biggest turning point in my baseball career. Of course, I have no intention of giving in. I can't afford to be complacent."
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