"I think that the results I got were because I was able to find my own style at the farm team, where Fukuura and Hori taught me a lot, so it's difficult to keep that up for long, and I think it's something I have to keep going with. This year at the farm team, I was practicing with Hori to get the timing right and create gaps, so I hope I can continue that, and I also think there are things I need to do on top of that."

Lotte's Koki Yamaguchi hit four At Bat Home Run in August, tying Pacific League League record, but the season as a whole was a disappointing one.

Yamaguchi has hit double-digit Home Run for two consecutive years since 2012, and started last season as the fourth batter, but injuries and his own inconsistencies in performance meant he was unable to achieve satisfactory results. Looking ahead to this season, he has been training on his own with extraordinary determination, saying, "First of all, I wanted to push myself, and I created an environment where I couldn't compromise and had no choice but to do my best, so I hired a trainer. He has been watching me since high school, so I knew the training would be tough. I think I was able to put in some good practice."

At the Ishigakijima spring training camp, he swung his bat from morning onwards. "I'm trying out a lot of different things, and I don't think there's much time to try things out, but I'm trying out different things to see what works best for me, and I think with this much time, even the small details will come out, so I think I'm practicing well, and since I wasn't able to swing the bat last year due to an injury, I think I'm having a good time at the training camp," he said, describing the Ishigakijima spring training camp as a fulfilling time.

At this year's spring training camp in Ishigaki Island, it wasn't just batting practice that seemed to show his determination. When it came to base running, he always ran at the front, saying, "I think it's important to be at the front, and I try to be as far forward as possible when warming up."

In his first outing of the season, against the Rakuten Eagles Monkeys on February 16, he entered the game from light defense and hit a timely hit before center fielder his second at bat, 2 hit including Home Run in a practice game against Yakult on February 18, 2 RBI and in an open game against Chunichi on February 22, Home Run to the back screen, which he had been working on in hitting practice since last fall from Takehito Fujishima. He was hoping to make further appeal for the opening of the season, but in 12 practice games and open games, he was unable to win the fierce outfielder competition, with a batting average of .200 (30-6), 2 Home Run and 4 RBI, and he started the season on the farm.

"Yes, because I have a strong desire to get back at them and get revenge." He made a strong showing with eight consecutive hit from the opening game of the second team against Nippon-Ham Fighters on March 15th. At the end of March, he had a batting average of .364, Home Run, and 10 RBI. His batting average, which was .350 at the end of April 5th, gradually declined, and at the end of the second team game against Yakult on April 19th, it had dropped to .257.

"I was hoping to find something that would suit me, in some good way," he said, experimenting with different stances, such as pointing the bat toward pitcher when he held it in a game against The Giants' second team on April 29, and holding the bat horizontally until his third at-bat in a game against Yakult second team on May 3.

I don't think I'm my true self yet," he said, "but on May 5, Seibu in a 0-2 second inning game against the Niguns, he hit a 129 km slider pitch, the second pitch strike thrown by Ryota Itokawa, into the left field stands with no outs runner in the 5th inning, and on May 11 in a 4-0 third inning game against the DeNA Niguns, runner with two outs in the 2nd inning, he hit a 129 km pitch into the left field stands. The second at bat in a 4-0 game against DeNA on May 11, the moment Yuto Mori hit two seam fastball the first pitch he threw Home Run into the left field stands, it was amazing.

"That (home Home Run Itokawa) just caught when I swung, but I think hitting it off Mori was pretty perfect and good."

Despite his condition not improving, he hit Home Run off Mori in a DeNA minor league game on May 11th, finishing with three hit, and then in the next game against Kufu HAYATE on May 13th, he went on a rampage with two hit RBI including two Home Run runs in two consecutive games.

He was finally promoted for the first time this season on May 14th. He got his first hit of the season in a game against Orix Buffaloes on May 22nd, but did not play after that day and spent his days warming the bench. Nevertheless, in his first appearance in a while on May 31st against Nippon-Ham Fighters, he hit a two-run timely hit, his first RBI of the season, saying, "I'm glad I was able to hit with the opportunity I had. I'm happy!" and made an impression despite the limited opportunities he had.

He had hit in three consecutive games starting with hit against Orix Buffaloes on May 22, but was removed from the first-string roster on June 4. In the farm team, he tried different timing and batted with a black and white bat. In a game against Rakuten Eagles Buffaloes on July 11, with the score at 0-1 and two outs and no runner on base, he was at bat for the fourth time in the seventh inning with the score at 0-1. Haruto Nakagomi threw a 126 km/h slider on the sixth pitch with three balls and two strike. Home Run was hit into the left-field stands for a home run with Shiraki's torpedo bat.

While in the farm team, Yamaguchi said, "I always thought of myself as being in the first team, and I often had opportunities to play, so I kept that in mind." Home Run in three consecutive games, accumulating nine RBI during that time, starting with the July 29th game Oisix. In his first at-bat Oisix on July 30th, with the score at 0-0 and one out in the first inning, with runners on first and second, Kenta Anjo hit a fastball on the fifth pitch after a three-and-one strike into the upper left-field stands for a truly impressive three-run home run. Yamaguchi himself was pleased with the hit, saying, "It was great to hit it off pitcher Anjo."

After being demoted, Yamaguchi's batting average in the farm team was .240 (24 out of 100), but he hit six Home Run and 31 RBI, earning him a promotion back to the first team on August 5th. That same day, he started in starting line-up against Softbank (Zozo Marine Stadium Stadium). "I put all my effort into this day, so I'm glad I was able to take advantage of the opportunity in my first at-bat," he said. With the score tied at 0-0 in the second inning, with runners on first and third and no outs, Yamaguchi's first at-bat change-up after a 1-ball from starter Yugo Maeda. It was instantly clear that he was the real deal, as he hit a spectacular three-run home run into the left-field stands.

In his third at-bat in the sixth inning with the score at 5-1 and a runner on third strike, he said, "I didn't know where it was going to go when I hit it, but I'm glad it went to a good spot." Despite being jammed by a 150 km/ fastball thrown by Yuki Tsumori with two balls and two strikes on the fifth pitch, he hit a timely single to right field. Then, in his fourth at-bat in the eighth inning with the score at 6-3 and a runner on first base, he hit a 148 km/ fastball thrown by left-handed Hayato Miyazaki with two balls and two strike on the fifth pitch to left field, earning him a multi-hit game.

starting line-up also started in the game Softbank Hawks on the following day, the 6th, as the seventh batter in left field, and in his third at-bat with two outs and Home Run on first base in the sixth inning with the score at 0-9, he said, "I'm glad I was able to hit the ball that came softly." He hit sinker thrown by Ryosuke Otsu with two balls and two strike into the middle of the left-center field stands for his second consecutive home run. Having hit Home Run in two consecutive games at Zozo Marine Stadium, Yamaguchi said, "I think I'm feeling good."

Yamaguchi was incredible in the three-game series Rakuten Eagles starting on August 19th. In his first at Rakuten Eagles bat against Rakuten on the 19th, batting seventh as DH, with the score at 0-2 in the second inning and a runner on second base, Yamaguchi said, "At 25 years old, I'm glad I was able to hit my first home run." With a one-ball, two-strike, Takayuki Kishi threw a 143 km/h fastball on the fourth pitch, sending it into the right side of the back screen for a two-run homer, a typical Yamaguchi hit.

In the game Rakuten on the 20th, the day after batting order fourth for the first time this season, he said, "I couldn't hit in my first and second at-bats and wasted my chances, so I concentrated even more and I'm glad I got the best result." In his fourth at-bat in the seventh inning with the score tied 2-2 and two outs and runners on second and third, he hit the sixth pitch, a 143 km/h cutter thrown by Masaya Nishigaki with two balls and two strike, into the left field rogue seats for the game-winning fourth home run of the game.

Against Rakuten on the 21st, The Marines fans were thrilled: in the first at bat with two outs in the 0-0 first inning, "I'm glad I was able to catch it," said Ryota Takinaka, who threw the second pitch from 1 strike, 145 km fastball, to the middle of the left field stands for the first time in three consecutive games Home Run, and in the 2-1 fourth inning, With no outs in the 4th inning and one out in the 2nd inning, Takinaka threw a 134 km fork, his third pitch from 1 strike ball, into the left center field stands for his 6th two-run homer.

With the score at 8-1 in the fourth inning, Yamaguchi's momentum was unstoppable. With two outs and runners on first and third, he came to strike third and hit a 148 km/h fastball on the third pitch thrown by Daichi Shibata with two strikes into the left-field stands for his seventh home run, a two-run shot. This was Yamaguchi's second time hitting three Home Run in a single game, since September 22, 2022, against Orix.

Yamaguchi's challenge has always been whether he can "continue" to hit consistently. Hitting coach Kenta Kurihara also spoke about his issues, saying, "Maybe it's the timing against quick pitcher. He has some issues, and I think he's aware of it, but if he can adapt to that, I think he'll be able to hit more reliably."

In the end, this was his last home run Home Run, and he hit just Home Run in the month of August this season. Regarding what is necessary to continue hitting home run throughout the season, Yamaguchi said, "I think the mental aspect is also important. I think everyone feels the same when they're hitting, but when they're hitting, they think they can hit it, so if they tense up or start thinking about what they need to do somewhere, they won't get good results, so I think it's important to stay calm when they step up to the plate, and after that, it's just a matter of practicing."

It's been nearly five years since he was touted as a promising long-distance hitter. Next season, I want to lead the batting lineup as a true right-handed long-distance hitter.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita