"It was the first time, so I was honestly glad, but the numbers are still not satisfactory, so I think we've laid the minimum foundation, and I'd like to make even greater strides next year."
Kyota Fujiwara of the Lotte Marines reached the required number of plate appearances for the first time in his seventh professional season this year.
◆ Towards 25 years
Fujiwara started last season late due to an injury, but was promoted on June 28th. He commented, "It's been something I've been working on for a long time, so I haven't been able to compete throughout the season, but I've been improving over the last two or three months, and this is the first time I've gone three months without any ups and downs in my performance, so I think that's an area where I've grown." His performance was minimal throughout the season, and although he did not reach the required number of at-bats, he finished the season with a batting average of .290.
During the off-season, he focused on training alone and getting into shape. At the Ishigakijima spring training camp that began on February 1, he had a separate training menu for the first and second sessions, but he rejoined the team on February 13, saying, "The amount of training hasn't decreased, so there wasn't any fatigue or any gap at all, but it's just that my technique hasn't improved."
During his batting practice that day, he rarely lifted his right leg when hitting against the pitching machine or batting pitcher, and almost exclusively used a no-step batting style. His batting form when using the no-step style also seemed different from last year. "Mechanically, the no-step style is better, but it's a form I don't use in actual games, and I'm not able to hit the ball well, so it's not good at all. I was hitting a lot of balls that were sliding or hooked, so I'll try to think about lifting my leg and doing it," he confessed, and continued, "It's not as small as during the season, but I've made some pretty big changes, so I feel like I'm still in the process of getting there."
Even so, during batting practice on February 15th, he was hitting with a batting form similar to last season. When asked, Fujiwara answered, "Yes," and explained the reason for this, saying, "I don't have the image of going back to last year's form, but in the end, when I make corrections, I automatically go back to my best form." He continued, "It's best if I can raise my foot in a no-step form, so I'm conscious of keeping that feeling in mind."
Fujiwara kicked off the spring training camp in Ishigaki Island feeling confident, saying, "My batting is getting a little better and I'm feeling good about it, so I'm a little worried, but there are also some exciting aspects."
He made his debut in the open season on March 7 against Softbank Hawks, and although his batting average in the open season was .261, hit in 6 out of 8 games. From the game against Nippon-Ham on March 12 to the game against The Giants on March 23, he got hit in 5 consecutive games. At the end of the open season, he felt positive about his performance, saying, "How should I put it, my swing path has changed, and my swing has become a little stronger, so I think I'm developing a more mature batting style where the ball flies without me having to swing too hard."
In the opening game against Softbank on March 28th, "It was a chance, so I was able to swing at breaking ball from an early count. I'm glad I was able to get runner home," he said. In his third at-bat in the sixth inning with one out and runners on second and third, with the score at 2-1, he hit a two-run timely hit to right field on the second change-up thrown by Kohei Arihara with one ball. Then, in his fourth at-bat in the eighth inning with no runner on base and the score at 7-1 and no outs, he took the eighth fastball thrown by Yuki Tsumori with three balls and two strike, doble in the opposite direction. He got off to a great start in the opening game with two hit and two RBI.
At the start of the season, he was often benched when a left-handed pitcher was on the mound, but in the games starting line-up did start, he recorded one hit against Orix Buffaloes on April 3rd, his first three hit of the season against Seibu Lions on April 8th, and a solid four-hit performance against Softbank Hawks on April 11th, resulting in an impressive batting average of .526.
Last season, he said, "When I'm in a tight spot, I only aim in the opposite direction," and in the game Softbank on April 11, three of hit four hit were in the opposite hit after he was in a tight spot. "The content and the results are consistent, so I think it's good," he said, expressing his satisfaction.
In an interview on April 13, Fujiwara said, "My batting technique, mechanics, and repertoire have definitely improved, and I was able to put up some decent numbers last year, so I think there's definitely less fluctuation in my performance." He cited the increase in his "repertoire" as one of the reasons for the reduced fluctuations in his performance. When asked in an interview after pre-game practice on May 5 about the benefits he has seen at the plate from having more "repertoire," he self-analyzed, "Even when I'm not at my best, I'm still getting hits and Walk, so I think it's a good thing."
◆ Fixed as batting order from the interleague games onwards.
batting order has been fixed at number one since the first interleague game against The Giants on June 4. When asked what he is conscious of as the leadoff hitter, he said, "There's nothing in particular, but it depends on whether I play or not, so I hope I can give the team momentum."
In the game against Yakult on June 13th, as the starting pitcher in right field, with the score tied at 1-1, in his second at-bat in the second inning with one out and runners on first and second, he let go of the fifth pitch, a straight ball on the outside corner, thrown by Okugawa Yasunobu with fastball of 3 balls and 1 strike, drawing Walk, which led to a two-run RBI hit by Ryusei Terachi.
Although it did not lead to a run, in his fourth at-bat in the sixth inning with two outs and a runner on second base and the score tied at 4-4, he made a good call on the sixth pitch, slider on the outside corner thrown by Taguchi Reito with three balls and two strike, and extended his chances.
Then, in his fifth at-bat in the ninth inning with the score tied at 4-4, he said, "I had a good batter, Terachi, behind me, so I thought if I got on base he could do something, so I'm glad I got on base with a hit." He hit the sixth pitch from Bauman with three balls and two strike, a 155 km/h fastball, to center fielder, creating an opportunity.
On the second pitch following a 1-ball count, Terachi attempted to stolen base second base. He was initially called out, but the call was overturned after a review, and he successfully stolen base second base. During Daito Yamamoto 's at-bat, the fourth pitch, with a 1-ball, 2-strike, was a wild pitch, allowing him to advance from second to third base. The following fifth pitch was also a wild pitch, allowing him to score walk-off.
In the game against DeNA on June 20th, in the first inning with no outs and no runner on base and the score tied 0-0, he doble the first pitch, a 149 km/ fastball thrown by Kei, which hit center fielder wall. Also in the game against DeNA on June 22nd, in the fifth inning with no outs and no runner on base and the score 9-6, he hit Home Run off the fifth pitch, a 129 km/h slider thrown by Ishida Yutaro with a 2-ball, 2-strike, sending it into the right field stands.
"The bat's trajectory is getting better, so I think my batting is improving."
In every interview, Fujiwara has spoken about "extra-base hits," saying, "Rather than trying to hit wall base hits, I think if I can hit with my own form, extra-base hits will come." However, regarding doble off Kei that hit the fence and Home Run off Ishida using a no-step batting style, he analyzed, "breaking ball got caught nicely and turned into home run, so I think I'm hitting well."
Even after the league resumed, he started in the first game against Softbank on June 27th, as the leadoff hitter and center fielder fielder. In his second at-starting line-up in the third inning with one out and runners on first and strike and the score at 0-0, he hit a 127 km/h curveball on the fourth pitch thrown by Moinelo with two strikes in the front of right field. Then, in his fourth at-bat in the seventh inning with two outs and runners on first and strike and the score at 1-1, he hit a 144 km/h straight fastball thrown by Moinelo with one ball and two hit in the front of center fielder, achieving his 15th multiple hit of the season.
Since the start of the interleague games, he has been used as the leadoff hitter, and as he has played in games since the start of the season, he said, "I feel that way because they've been throwing breaking ball at the start," and that there have been times when he felt that the way they attack is different and that they've been marking him more strictly. Regarding his batting after being cornered, he said, "It hasn't changed much, but I'd like to be able to shut down the pitches the other team is making early on."
On July 5, against Orix Buffaloes, he hit a timely, light-over-the-field long ball triple on the fifth pitch Ryusei Gonda pitched from 2 balls 2 strike with one out in the 9th inning of a 5-2 game, an in-course 136 kilogram change-up over the light, and more long balls he pulled after the exchange game against DeNA.
Regarding that, he revealed, "I haven't consciously changed anything, but I think that with floating and slow breaking ball breaking ball my timing has naturally become faster and I'm able to pull them out."
◆ First All-Star Game
On July 18th, the good news arrived. "It's a stage where many great players gather, so I would like to listen to various stories from various people so that I can improve myself," he said. He was selected to play in the Mynavi All-Star Game 2025 for the first time as a reserve player.
"It's my first time, so I'm looking forward to it, but the schedule is tough, so I hope I can keep a lot of things in mind," he said, looking ahead to the second half of the season.
In the All-Star Game, he drew the number 1 in the lottery for the first game on July 23rd, and starting line-up as the number 1 batter and right fielder. In his second at-bat in the third inning with no outs and a runner on first base, with the score 1-0, he hit a 139 km/h fastball, the third pitch thrown by Takahiro Matsuba (Chunichi) after two strike, to center fielder field for his first All-Star hit.
On July 26, his first game after the All-Star break, he finished 4 At Bat 0 hit against Nippon-Ham (ES CON FIELD), but on the following day, July 27, against Nippon-Ham, he said, "I hit it like I was going to die. In the 8th inning, 3-4, with one out and three on, he hit a 155-kilogram fastball ball, the second pitch thrown by Seigi Tanaka from 1 strike, to left field for the tying run. And in the sixth at bat of the 4-4 11th inning with two outs bases loaded, Nao Miyanishi chose the final push Walk off a 139 km fastball, the fifth pitch pitched from 3 balls 1 strike.
In the game Rakuten Eagles on July 31st, he went 0-At Bat hit 3 but drew two Walk, forcing Rakuten Eagles pitcher to throw 30 pitches in five at-bats. In August, he recorded two hit in the game against Seibu Lions on the 2nd and one hit in the game against Seibu Lions on the 3rd, showing no signs of being fazed by the tough schedule and travel.
◆ Hitting at a Dome Stadium in August
In August, he hit well in dome stadiums. He played in 23 games in August, with a monthly batting average of .278, but when limited to dome stadiums, his batting average was .405. He got 3 hit against Softbank Hawks on the 16th (MIZUHO PayPay Dome), 2 hit against Softbank Hawks on the 17th (MIZUHO PayPay Dome), and 3 hit against Orix Buffaloes on the 26th (Kyocera Dome Osaka), recording multiple hit in 3 consecutive games in dome stadiums. "Of course, domes are the easiest to hit in, and I think that's why I can get good results. At Marine Stadium, the wind is strong, and each game is different, so it's difficult to get good results, but I'm trying to persevere and get at least one hit every day."
At Zozo Marine Stadium, in the game Rakuten Eagles on August 20th, in the first inning with no outs and no runner on base, Tatsuki Koja hit fastball 3-ball, 2-strike to left field for his first-ever 100-hit season. Fujiwara expressed his delight, saying, "I was aiming for it, so I'm honestly happy."
In the Rakuten Eagles game on the same day, in the fourth at-bat with no outs on second base in the 7th inning with a score of 2-2, he said, "I thought I was going to hit the lowest base, but it was faster than I thought, and it was changing. I wanted to hit a hit, but pitcher was better, so I think it was good that it was an advance Masaya Nishigaki strike the end." fork, who came to steal the 7th pitch with an outside angle of 139 km, hit the bat and advanced to second base runner and Tomosugi to third base. After that, Yamaguchi hit the final 3 runs.
Regarding how to get out, Fujiwara said, "Of course I'm conscious of it, and I think there are many things I can contribute beyond just my batting average. In addition to that, (Nishikawa) Shisho has been hitting well since his return, so I want to try to get runner on base to Shisho as much as possible."
Fujiwara reached the required number of plate appearances for the first time since turning professional in his third at-bat in the game against Softbank Hawks on August 30. However, he was left out of the lineup for the game against Softbank Hawks the following day, August 31, and was removed from the first-team roster on September 3. He returned to the first team on September 30 and ultimately finished the season playing in 107 games, with a batting average of .271, 4 Home Run, 24 RBI, and 15 stolen base bases.
Although he was sidelined towards the end of the season, he was able to play without any major ups or downs, which was a positive thing. "I was able to achieve the pace I had expected, and the batting average was also good, but I was able to achieve the bare minimum of what I needed to achieve, so I would like to set even higher goals."
His batting average is .271. For Kyota Fujiwara, you'd expect a higher average. To achieve that, he needs to increase the number of times he can hit well.
"I get tired during the season, so I try to relieve that fatigue, and I increased my running in the second half, which helped improve my performance, but if you can't move your feet, your batting won't improve. I think it's a matter of finding the right way to adjust."
He had set goals for this season of reaching the required number of plate appearances, a batting average of .300, and double-digit Home Run, but he was unable to achieve the .300 batting average and double-digit Home Run. To achieve these two goals, he showed confidence, saying, "I've never competed for a full year before, so now that I'm competing for the first time, I know what I can do, and what I need to do to make it happen. I think I can definitely achieve a .300 batting average and double-digit home runs by the end of this season."
With manager Saburo taking over next season, Fujiwara Kyota will be expected to play a central role as an indispensable regular player. "There are many players younger than me, so I don't know if I'm in a position to be called a mid-career player, but I want to have that kind of mindset and lead by example." The era of Kyota Fujiwara is coming.
Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita
