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."
Related News
・ [Chunichi] Yudai Ohno, "I want to prepare to be able to pitch" in a training match against Samurai Japan, expected to be held at the end of February next year
・ [Chunichi] Yudai Ohno renews his contract with an increased salary of 170 million yen. He vows to work together with Yanagi, who has announced he will stay with the team. "Having Yanagi with me is reassuring and makes me happy."
・ [Chunichi] Yudai Ohno gets his first 10 wins in five years, "This is the year that people want to use him" - the same game against Hanshin Tigers on September 14th as his no-hitter
・ [Chunichi] Yudai Ohno celebrates 15 years of his annual Daimonji mountain climbing training: "I'll continue in 2016, 2017, and beyond"
・ [Orix Buffaloes] Ren Mukunoki and Kaisei Tomatsu will be training in Puerto Rico, participating in the winter league for over a month.
