Lotte's Shuta Takano spoke about a third pitch, in addition to fastball and fork, at a press conference held on the 16th following his contract renewal.

Takano, who aimed to be in the starting rotation at the start of the season but served as a reliever from the beginning of the season, appearing in 37 games and boasting ERA of 1.84, had a breakout year. During the autumn practice held at Zozo Marine Stadium, he spoke about his goals, saying, "I don't know how I'll be used next year, so I might be a starter, or I might be a reliever like this year. Of course, I want to be able to throw a lot of pitches, but there were times when I struggled with just two pitches, my fastball and fork. So, I want to improve the accuracy of my curveball, which is a third pitch that I've been working on for a long time, and I want to continue what I've been doing since the offseason last year to make the quality of fork and forkball even better than before."

After the Miyakonojo training camp, he has entered the offseason. What is the current status of his third pitch, the curveball, which he has been working on?

"I'm currently practicing slider and curves simultaneously, and I'm improving them through repetitive practice during catch practice and throwing drills. I've also been getting some personal training at a gym, which has helped improve some aspects. I have a feeling that next year I'll be able to throw them with as much confidence as fork."

Takano has thrown slider and curves before, but this season he has mainly closer on fastball and fork. If he can improve the accuracy of slider and curves, pitch repertoire will broaden, and next year will be an even more exciting one for him.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita