The Giants Daikiki Kikuchi pitcher (26) will move to Nippon-Ham in the active draft. He came up through the developmental ranks and made 50 appearances as a reliever in 23 years. I had a lot of great experiences during my four years with the Giants, and they helped me grow as a person. I think this is a great opportunity for me, and I will definitely play an active role.
He started this year on a development contract extension and was demoted to the third team, but after performing well in the second team he was promoted back to the regular team in July. He pitched with a 1.80 ERA in seven appearances in the first team, and a 1.98 ERA in 23 appearances in Eastern League. With a fastball exceeding 150 km/h and a fork, strike out rate of over 9 in both the first and second teams. He also felt that he was able to "show off his strengths" during this season and gained some confidence. There is a good chance that this transfer will be the catalyst for his breakthrough.
Last year, fellow right-hander Hata was drafted by The Giants to Hanshin Tigers Tigers. He made a strong presence with a 0.00 ERA in 12 appearances and even pitched in the Japan Series. Furthermore, at Nippon-Ham, where he will be joining, Mizutani, who joined under the same system two years ago, has emerged as a standout player, raising expectations for Kikuchi to blossom. At his new team, he will be in the same year as Kiyomiya Yuki and others, and he was a battery partner with Yoshida, who joined under the same system last year, at Toin University of Yokohama. His ability to easily integrate into the team will likely be a plus.
He will be in his fifth year as a professional next season when he moves his battlefield from Central League to Pacific League. I would like to thank The Giants for bringing me up. "To the team officials and staff, thank you very much for all your help. I would also like to thank all the fans for their warm support. As a member of the team aiming for the first league championship under Shinjo, he will return the favor to his old home The Giants by making a splash in the land of the north.
◆ Current draft memo
▼... pitcher had the fewest number of players with only four. Previously, there were six in 2022, nine in both 2023 and 2024. outfielder had the most with six. Previously, there were four in 2022, two in 2023, and none in 2024.
▼…The three pairs of players who essentially traded between the same teams were The Giants and Nippon-Ham, DeNA and Chunichi, and Seibu Lions and Orix Buffaloes. In the past, there have only been two pairs: DeNA and Chunichi in 2022 and Nippon-Ham and Softbank Hawks in 2023, but this is the first time that three pairs have been traded in one year.
▼...There were four "trades" between Central and Pacific teams. In the past, the most was three in 2022, 2023, and 2024, making this the most "trades" within the same league.
▼... The Giants acquired players Nippon-Ham, Yakult from Hiroshima, and Orix Buffaloes from Seibu Lions for the second consecutive year. In the past, only two teams have acquired players from the same team for two consecutive years: Softbank Hawks from Nippon-Ham in 2022 and 2023, and Nippon-Ham from Softbank Hawks in 2023 and 2024. This is the first time that three teams have acquired players from the same team for two consecutive years.
◆Kikuchi Taiki Born June 2, 1999 in Sado City, Niigata. 26 years old. After attending Sado High School and Toin Yokohama University, he joined The Giants as the sixth pick in the 2021 development draft. In April 2022, he was registered as a controlled player and was given number "96", making 50 appearances in 2023. This season he will start anew on a development contract. In July he was promoted again and number changed from "001" to "68". He has a total of 73 appearances, with 5 wins, 7 losses, 1 save, ERA of 3.70. He is 186 cm tall and weighs 89 kg. He throws right and bats left.
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