This season, in his fourth year since graduating from high school, he won three batting titles in the minor leagues.

He was selected in the second round of the 2021 draft by Hokkaido Nippon-Ham. Naoki Arizono The player, in his fourth year since graduating from high school, has dramatically improved his performance in the minor leagues this season, winning three batting titles in Eastern League League: batting hitter, most Home Run, and highest on-base percentage. Achieving a batting average of .300 and more than 15 home run runs simultaneously is the first time in six years that a player has done so in the entire farm league, and even looking at the last 10 years, only Yasutaka Shiomi (Tokyo Yakult) has done so. Hotaka Yamakawa It was an impressive achievement, accomplished by only six players (then with the Saitama Seibu Lions). This time, we'll explore the growth of Arizono's batting using data from the minor leagues.

His contact ability, which was an issue when he first joined the team, has improved.

The first thing to look at is his contact rate. When he first joined the team, Arizono's strikeout rate was over 10 points lower than the farm team average, making him a problem for many. However, his numbers improved significantly last season, his third year as a pro. Furthermore, this season he has increased his contact rate to 76.3%, approaching the farm team average, showing a steady improvement in his ability to catch the ball.

Dramatically improved batting eye

Next, let's look at his swing rate in the ball zone. Until last season, it was around 30%, which was about the farm team average, but this season it has dropped significantly to 22.6%. His batting eye has improved dramatically, with his swing rate at low balls dropping by nine points from last year. Whether or not you can identify balls as balls also has a significant impact on your strikeout rate. There's no doubt that his improved swing rate in the ball zone has also contributed to the aforementioned increase in his contact rate. He also drew 43 Walk this season, third-highest in Eastern League, and his Walk rate as a percentage of his total at-bats rose from 7.2% last year to 11.7%. It seems likely that his improved batting eye was an essential factor in his improved performance this season, including his on-base percentage.

He hit high-quality fly balls, and home run count also increased.

Arizono's batting has become so consistent that he has even won the batting hitter in Eastern League. Now, let's delve into the data related to his strong point, extra-base hits. Hitting home run requires hitting the ball at an angle, and his fly ball percentage has been above the farm team average of over 50% since his first year as a pro. This season, his fly ball percentage remained almost the same as in previous years, but his HR/FB ratio, which indicates the percentage of fly balls that become home run, has dramatically increased to 14.1%. Considering that the average for the 36 players who hit double-digit Home Run in the first team this season was 9.6%, it is clear that this is an excellent number, even if it is a minor league statistic. As evidenced by his batting average of .480 when hitting fly balls, he has been hitting more high-quality fly balls that lead to good results this season.

He has switched from focusing on pulling hits to hitting long balls in a wide range this season.

Not only has Arizono's fly ball performance improved, but so has his long hits. Last season, seven of his nine Home Run were hit to the left, and the majority of his long hits were hits pulled. This season, however, he's hit more long hits to center fielder field and the opposite direction. He's been hitting the ball almost evenly across the three directions, with nine to Home Run, five to center fielder, and four to right field, prolific in any direction. Since his rookie year, Arizono has been known for the power of his hits, which he unleashes with his well-built physique. His consistency has increased this season, and his ability to hit long balls from a wide range of angles has likely contributed to his improved batting stability.

On August 13th, he recorded his long-awaited first professional hit in the first team, and he himself reflected on the 2015 season as "the best season in the last four years," giving him a great sense of accomplishment. At third base and first base, where he primarily plays, he faces many first baseman, including Yuya Gunji, who will be the starting fourth batter for next season, as well as Kotaro Kiyomiya, Yuki Nomura, and Ariel Martinez, but he has shown plenty of potential to join the competition. The 2015 season marks his fifth year as a pro. We can't help but expect him to continue churning out home run in the first team and help the team, which has been in second place for two consecutive years, move up another level.

*All figures in the text and tables are as of the end of the 2025 season.

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