At a press conference held on the 16th after his contract renewal, Lotte's Shuta Takano mentioned a third pitch following fastball and fork.

Aiming to be in the opening rotation this season, Takano has had a breakthrough year, appearing in 37 games as a reliever since the start of the season, with ERA of 1.84. During fall practice at Zozo Marine Stadium, Takano spoke about his theme, saying, "I don't know how I'll be used next year, so I'll probably be a starter, and I'll probably be a reliever like I was this year, so I'll of course be able to throw a lot of pitches, but there were times when I struggled with my two pitches, the fastball and fork. The third one, which has always been something I've been working on, is to improve the accuracy of my curveball, and I'll continue to do what I've been doing since last offseason so that the quality of my fastball and fork will be 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 curveball at the same time, and I'm also improving by practicing repeatedly while playing catch, or rather, by throwing the ball. I've also been getting some personal lessons at a personal gym, and I'm improving in some areas. I have a feeling that next year I'll be able to throw the ball with as much confidence as fork."

Takano has been throwing slider and curves up until now, but this season he has closer on fastball and fork. If he can also throw slider and curves with precision, the range of pitch will expand, and next year is likely to be an even more exciting year.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita