Seibu Lions 's underhand right-handed pitcher Kaito Yoza (30) welcomed former The Giants pitcher Rei Takahashi (30), whose signing of a developmental player contract for next season was announced on the 16th, on the 19th.

On this day, the right-handed pitcher was doing his own training at the team's facilities in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture. Last offseason, he and Takahashi, along with Hayate Nakagawa of DeNA and Shimokawa of Yakult, held an "Underhand Pitching Club" meeting to exchange information. As it is a rare pitching style, he said, "I'm happy. I don't know if this is the right way to put it, but it's like I've gained another person who understands how I feel, or rather, I've gained one more person I can empathize with. The two of us will quietly meet in a corner (laughs)," and he is looking forward to the day when they can play together.

"Two underhand pitchers on one team" is a rare case even in the baseball world, but he firmly states, "I don't really think of them as rivals." "I'm not the type to look around and compete, I think it's about how I can improve my own abilities little by little. People around me will compare me, but I don't think of them as rivals that much, rather I think of them as friends who share the same sense." As classmates, he is determined to help each other improve and lead the team to a comeback from this season's fifth place finish.