On the 12th, Orix Buffaloes catcher Ryoma Yamanaka attended contract negotiations at the team's facility in Maishima, Osaka, and signed for an annual salary of 10 million yen, an increase of 2 million yen (estimated amount). "Starting with the first team at the start of the season, and ending with the recent Taiwan Winter League, I was able to gain a really long period of actual game experience. For better or worse, I was able to gain a lot of good experiences, and it was a fulfilling year," he reflected.

After stints at Kisarazu Sogo, Aoyama Gakuin University, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries East, he joined Orix Buffaloes as the fourth pick in last fall's draft. Despite being in his first year as a pro, he made an impression from the Miyazaki training camp onwards, and on April 17th against Seibu Lions (Kyocera Dome Osaka), he became the first hitter to hit a Home Run home run in the first inning, marking his first professional home run. For the entire season, he had a batting average of .122 with one Home Run and three RBI in 19 games. "In the Western League, I was given many at-bats, and there were times when I had a string of bad times. My challenge going forward will be to reduce the fluctuations in my performance as I continue to play in games," he said.

From November 15th to the 7th of this month, he participated in the 2025 Asia Winter Baseball League (AWB) held in Taiwan, where he recorded a batting average of .340. "Most of the matches were my first, so I tried not to be passive but to be proactive. I went into the matches thinking about how I could get results in my first at-bat in particular, and that led to some really good results," he said, expressing his satisfaction.

Next season will be his second year, but he will be 24 years old. "I'm at an age where I have to do my best, so it will be a really crucial year. I don't just want to be in the first team, I want to play in games, contribute more to the team's win, and strive for results myself," he said enthusiastically.