Orix Buffaloes Buffaloes infielder Kotaro Kobayashi signed a contract on the 11th at the team's facilities in Maishima, Osaka, agreeing to a salary increase of 16 million yen, bringing his annual salary to 95 million yen (estimated amount). "If I reach 100 million yen with these results, I think that's quite something, so next year I want to put up outstanding numbers and become a player who can easily surpass that milestone," he said, envisioning himself breaking the 100 million yen mark a year from now.

In his sixth professional season, he played in 116 games as the starting short stop, batting .260 with 9 Home Run and 43 RBI. He cleared the required number of plate appearances for the fifth consecutive year and won his first Golden Glove Award as a short stop. Even so, he didn't seem satisfied, saying, "I still think I'm not good enough. I want to keep improving."

He requested that the team introduce the "Traject Arc" pitch machine. This secret weapon displays video of pitcher and faithfully reproduces an actual pitch. In the baseball world, players like Ohtani of the Dodgers use it. "I thought it would definitely help them visualize themselves if they used it before a game. I thought it would have a good effect on the whole team, so I asked if they could do it if possible," he said, expressing his expectations.

Next season, they both aim to play 20 Home Run and 143 full inning games for the first time in their careers, saying, "With my body like this, I have to be able to hit. They vowed to win the league championship and become Japan's No. 1 team for the first time in three years.