This season marks the fifth year since graduating from high school for Lotte's Shunsuke Nakamori. After the All-Star break, he was unable to pitch for the first team due to back pain, but in the first half of the season he pitched in 25 games and 29 1/3 innings, recording 2 wins, 2 losses, 10 hold, 5 ERA of 1.23, making him a ray of hope for a team that was at the bottom of the league.

During last year's fall training, Nakamori vowed to hone his "straight breaking ball," saying, "Every year during the off-season, I want to hone breaking ball so that I can get batters to strike out, and that's one of my main focuses, but the straight pitch is what makes or breaks a curveball. No matter how good breaking ball you throw, if it's not a straight pitch, it will bounce off, so in that sense, I realized the importance of a straight pitch. For this off-season, I want to perfect fastball once again." After a winter, during the spring training camp in Ishigaki Island in February, he said, "I think I'm making good progress," building a foundation and gaining confidence in his powerful fastball.

"I would like to eventually bring my average speed up to around 150 km/h. To get my average up to that level, I have to raise my maximum value, so my maximum value. First of all, I have to increase my output. Even in bullpen, it's okay if my control is a little off, so right now I'm just focusing on putting out power," he said, focusing on increasing the output of fastball in bullpen at the Ishigaki Island spring training camp.

On February 7, he took the mound at Live BP and said, "I wasn't in a very good condition, but I think it was good in terms of strength because I was able to get a straight swing and foul," and threw 20 pitches against four people, Akito Takabe, Koki Yamaguchi, Misho Nishikawa, and Daito Yamamoto, and closer hit to two. Even in the red and white match on the 11th, he said, "I will continue to push inning straight, but the number of will increase, but it is best to cut one inning with three people, so no matter what the form, I will closer to no runs and focus on the results first. I was able to output and get a foul, so I think it was good fastball." Regarding fastball, who finished off the Ko Matsukawa with a struck out, he recalled, "I went to aim and drove it in, so I was strict on the course.

He made his first appearance in an external game of the season on February 19th against Hiroshima, closer three scoreless runs, and then pitched 59 pitches over four runs against Seibu Lions on February 27th in the 2025 Spring Miyazaki Baseball Games. He started in the Spring Education League against Rakuten Eagles on March 9th, pitching 79 pitches over 4 1/3 innings, allowing one runs. After Eastern League began, he pitched three runs innings against Oisix on March 20th, closer a closer and joining the first team just before the season began.

"I think I'm in good shape.I'm in really good shape, so I want to do my best to maintain my output, or my form, and be able to pitch at the same quality once the season starts," he said enthusiastically, earning himself a spot on the opening day first team.

The position he was entrusted with from the opening was not a starter, but a reliever. "I've had experience with reliever before, so I'm doing it without any problems." In the opening game against Softbank Hawks on March 28th, the opportunity to pitch immediately came. After starting the 5th inning with a score of 0-1 and Kazuya Ojima, he took the mound and made it through the first inning 5th inning with no runs, and the batting line scored 6 runs in the 6th inning immediately after and succeeded in turning the game around. In the 6th inning, which became 6-1, he hit two grounders to Kenta Imamiya, missed Downs with a fork in the outside corner, and struck out Richard, and finished with a three-way strike without passing the flow to Softbank Hawks. Nakamori, who closer two innings runs a no-, became a win pitcher.

"The most important thing is to come back without giving up any runs, and that was the case in the opening game, but I don't want to let the momentum go to the other team, and I think I'm being used as a pitcher when they want to bring the momentum to our side, so I'd like to be able to pitch in that way."

Due to his condition declining in March last year, at the spring training camp in Ishigaki Island he said, "When I was in the US this year working with Nishino-san, he told me that my theme for this year is to work when it's time to work, and rest when it's time to rest, so I'd like to keep that in mind." However, he added firmly, "It's still just the beginning. I'm not tired or anything, so I hope I can approach the games as I have done in the past without any hesitation."

The fastball is good as it has been since the Ishigaki Island spring camp. In the Rakuten Eagles game on April 6th, the 153 kg fastball that finished the leading Hikaru Ota with a swing struck out from 3 balls and 2 strike in the 6th inning with a 0-3 was good.

"My fastball is in good shape, and I've actually been hitting home run when I throw it to show it off, so that's it. I'm currently working on developing breaking ball that will allow me to set count so that I can get the batter down to one strike, one ball, or two strike by the first or second pitch. If I can get that done, I think I'll be able to move up to the next level."

breaking ball also struck out the leadoff Ryo Ota in the seventh inning of a 1-1 tie in the seventh inning of a strike struck out Orix game on April 2, and his third pitch, a 139-kilogram fork from the strike zone, was a good drop from the zone to the ball zone.

Regarding fork, he explained, "I have some good pitches, and I think the trajectory and height are important, so the numbers aren't bad. In fact, it's a ball that could get more strikeouts, but I haven't gotten any more strikeouts yet, and I've talked to analysts about the height and course of the pitch, and I feel like there's something lacking. I'd like to keep that in mind and try not to reduce the power of my fastball."

In a game Orix Buffaloes on April 29th, with the score at 0-1 in the sixth inning and one out and a runner on second base, he pitched a 135 km/h fork to get Taishi Hirooka to swing and miss after one strike, and then struck him out struck out with his third pitch, a 135 km/h fork that dropped nicely from strike zone to the ball zone.

"As long as the ball falls at the right height and on the right trajectory, the straight trajectory before throwing fork is also important, but I think I was able to throw it with good reproducibility overall."

fork has allowed him to get strikeouts, which has led to an increase in the number of strike out.

"I'm inning short stop inning I think it's difficult for batters to narrow it down, but I'm aiming for a strikeout when I'm down to two strike, so I'd like to go for it and be able to get it."

He threw mainly long relief as the second pitcher after starting and leaving the game from the opening, but he said, "It's a job in any position, so I want to try to do my job where I'm entrusted," and in the Rakuten Eagles game on May 7, even though the gap was 7-3, he threw 1 inning in the 8th inning after Guerrero closer runs.

Since the start of May, he has had more opportunities to pitch in winning games, pitching in the 8th inning with the score tied at 3-3 against Rakuten Eagles on May 13, and then pitching in the 8th inning with batting order tied at 3-1 against Nippon-Ham on May 31, giving him the "8th inning of a winning game." Starting with second batter Taiki Asama, he struck struck out Asama with a 135 km/h fork, got Reyes to ground out to third base with a 132 km/h slider on the outside corner, and got Chusei Mannami to ground out to second base with a 151 km/h fastball, getting the three batters out of the lineup without any trouble.

In the Chunichi game on June 7th, he went up to mound in the 8th inning of 3-1, and was hit doble by the leading pinch hitter, Seiji Kawagoe, but pinch hitter Shuhei Takahashi hit two grounders and Yuki Okabayashi finished off with a fork swing struck out, making it 2 outs. Mikiya Tanaka made it to first and third base with Hit by Pitch, but Seiji Kamibayashi, who threw a Home Run from the starter Haruya Tanaka on this day, swung from 2 balls and 2 strike to fork to closer and struck out runs with no .

He has been pitching in the eighth inning of winning games more often, but now that he can predict to some extent which position he will be pitching from, has this made it easier for him to prepare, or has it changed his mindset before going up to mound?

"It hasn't changed that much. When I'm pitching multiple times and the starting pitcher is throwing a lot of pitches or giving up runs, I do some preparation, and even in the current situation, I prepare in advance, knowing that I'll be pitching around the eighth inning, so I don't think it's changed that much."

Aiming to enter the starting rotation this season, he has been training hard from his own training and has set a goal of innings pitched. But now that he has been pitching as a relief pitcher since the start of the season, is he setting any new goals?

"Nothing in particular. I can pitch every day, so I would like to keep pitching in games and gain more experience."

With the relief corps being unstable, Nakamori's presence grew, and in the ninth inning of the game against Hiroshima on June 12th, with the score at 5-4, he pitched in a save situation, throwing nine pitches in one inning, allowing no hit, striking out one strike out, and allowing no runs, closer his first professional save. "It's a very rewarding position, so I'm pitching with great enthusiasm," he said, and from this game onwards he was entrusted with pitching the ninth inning of winning games.

In June, he pitched eight inning in eight games, striking out 12 strike out than inning, with one win, three hold, four saves, and ERA of 0.00.

Nakamori himself recalled, "I think it was good," and the pitch against Hiroshima on June 11 was wonderful. He missed Shogo Akiyama with the first pitch with an outside angle of 153 kph fastball, missed the second ball with an outside angle of 153 kph fastball, chased him down with two balls, and finally struck out three balls with a fork of 138 kph. Kaito Kozono followed with a 140 kph fork on the second pitch from 1 strike and a good drop from the strike zone to the ball zone. On this day, fastball clocked 150 kilometers in all of them, and two balls clocked 154 kilometers, which was the fastest of his career at the time.

Against Yakult on June 15, 154 km outside corner fastball that missed Hidetaka Namiki struck out with one out runner none in the 9th inning of 4-4, against Hanshin Tigers on June 17, 150 km outside corner fastball that was the second pitch he threw to Oyama from 1 strike with two out runner none in the 9th inning of 3-1, and the outcourse of right-handed hitter fastball" was very good.

Nakamori reflected, "I wasn't in good shape that day (fastball that closer Namiki back), I was kind of hooking it, and both of slider that Santana hit were floating, so I wouldn't say I was in good shape, but I think I was able closer in the end."

He often used a fastball to pressure batters and then got them to swing struck out with fork, and of the 12 struck out he had in June, 7 were with struck out fork.

"I've been getting strikeouts with the fork, so I want to use it as my finishing pitch, so I'm working backwards to get to two strike early and pitching until I get to that point. That's what I'm keeping in mind when I do it."

Since he started pitching one inning, his pitch style has fastball mostly fastball, fork, and occasional slider fork It seems he hardly throws the curveballs and change-up he used to throw as a starter.

I also throw a curve, slider but I consider the straight ball to be the most important axis, and if I have too many options when I have to throw a inning pitch, I get lost in my mind. I throw the sweeper I used to throw when I was a starter, change-up and I also throw the catch ball, but I don't dare to use it in games, or rather, I don't want to increase my options," he explained.

Rakuten Eagles strike struck out On July 2, he hit his fastest pitch fastball of 155 km/h. On July 7, he said, "I'm honestly happy to be on the stage I've longed to be on since I was a little kid, watching it on TV and all. He decided to participate in the All-Star game as a manager's choice.

Even after being selected for the All-Star Game, closer all three batters in the game against Nippon-Ham on the 8th and against Seibu Lions on the 11th, extending his scoreless runs to 12, and showing his dignity as a "guardian deity," but he was removed from the first-team roster on the 13th. After the game against Seibu Lions on the same day, manager Masahito Yoshii said, "He is expected to be able to play in the All-Star Game. He said he would go to the hospital tomorrow, so I don't know the details."

He joined from pre-game practice for Game Orix Buffaloes on the 18th and took the mound in Game 2 of the All-Star on the 24th. During the season, he threw a ball speed of over 150 km, but on this day, there was not a single pitch over 150 km, and Naoki Yoshikawa (The Giants) and Teruaki Sato (Hanshin Tigers) hit a shot, and it was a pitch that was not like 2 runs in one inning. In the end, after this appearance, there was no first-team appearance this season.

Looking at just his performance in the first half of the season, he is one of the young players who made a big leap this season. 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 work he had been doing showed up. He wasn't able to compete 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.

His back pain has now completely healed and he has begun training. This season, he pitched as a relief pitcher despite being focused on starting, but in discussions with the team, he said he would be happy to play either as a starter or reliever next season. As long as he can play injury-free, he will undoubtedly be a valuable asset next season, whether he's a starter or reliever.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita