Softbank Hawks pitcher Kazuo Ono held contract renewal negotiations at Mizuho PayPay Dome on the 17th, signing a contract for an annual salary of 6.2 million yen, an increase of 1 million yen (estimated). The third-year left-hander, a graduate of Oshima High School (Kagoshima), was promoted to the first team for the first time this season, pitching in four games with a winless, 0.00 ERA. During a meeting with pitcher coach Kurano this offseason, Ohno was instructed to compete for a spot in the starting rotation next season. Since late October, he has been participating in the highly competitive Puerto Rico Winter League, gaining starting experience. "I was able to increase my average pitch speed as a starter, which has been a major growth factor," he said, exuding a sense of fulfillment after completing his roughly one-and-a-half-month training program. In the past, Yanagita, Shuto, Higashihama, and Sugiyama have all been sent to Puerto Rico and made their breakthroughs on the first team.

Ohno also revealed that he married a non-celebrity woman from Hiroshima in April this year, and that their first child, a daughter, was born in August. He said his goal is to have a long and successful career so that he can "be remembered by his daughter."