Orix Buffaloes pitcher Kaisei Tomatsu attended contract renewal negotiations at the team's facilities in Maishima, Osaka on the 23rd and signed a contract for 6.5 million yen, a 500,000 yen increase (estimated amount). "I told them that I want next year to be a breakthrough year for me, and that I will do my best as a valuable asset to the team," he said, reflecting on the exchange during the meeting.

He joined the team in 2023 as the third overall pick in the draft from Kyoei High School (Aichi Prefecture), and in his second professional season this year, he made the opening day roster for the first time as a relief pitcher. He made his professional debut on July 19 against Lotte (ZOZO Marine Stadium), and then on July 27 against Softbank Hawks (Mizuho PayPay Dome), he made his first professional start, pitching 3 1/3 innings and giving up 3 runs (2 earned), showing a solid performance.

In the end, he finished with a record of 0 wins and 2 losses in 7 games, ERA of 10.80. The left-hander, who gained valuable experience, summarized by saying, "There were some things I did better than I expected, and I felt a bit tired because I played baseball much more throughout the year than last year... Next year, I will definitely do my best to produce results (in the first team)."

After the season ended, he participated in the Puerto Rico Winter League (WL), where he undertook training for over a month. In addition to his signature fastball exceeding 150 km/h, he also seemed to have gained some confidence in the accuracy of breaking ball, such as change-up "I had the opportunity to talk with players pitching in the majors, so it was a great experience for me to be able to baseball at such a high level," he said, looking ahead.

Next season will be his third year as a professional. "I want to do my best as a starter. First of all, I want to be able to pitch well for five innings, to set the tone for the game and give the team momentum," he said enthusiastically.