The 2025 Tohoku Rakuten Eagles, under the leadership of manager Hajime Miki, finished with a record of 67 wins, 74 losses, and 2 ties, a winning percentage of .475, and fourth place in Pacific League. While finishing fourth for the fourth consecutive year was disappointing, it could also be said that the year was filled with many positive developments, with many young players emerging with promise for next season. This time, we look back on the 2025 season for the Tohoku Rakuten Eagles fielder.

He used his speed to attack and was by far the leader in the number of stolen base bases on the team.

Looking back at this season, the team's batting average of .244 and RBI were fourth in the league, almost on par with last year, but what is particularly noteworthy is the number of stolen base. The team recorded 110 stolen base bases, the most in the league. Looking at the breakdown, we can see that it was not one specific player who stolen base bases, but rather multiple players who consistently succeeded in stolen base bases, with Hiroto Kobukata​ ​Daisuke Nakashima 28, Ryosuke Tatsumi having 22, and Tatsumi Ryosuke having 20. In this way, their bold attacking style, making use of their speed to aim for the next base, was impressive.

Although the team's Home Run total was the lowest in the league, power hitters such as Voit and Fumiya Kurokawa made their presence felt from the middle of the season onwards, and it can be said that the team's offensive power has definitely improved compared to last season.

Hideto Asamura hits 2,000 career home runs! A first for a player born in the Heisei era, but a tough year ahead

He entered this season with 36 hits remaining until the big record. Hideto Asamura He had a tough year this year. He had been playing in consecutive games since 2015, making him the fourth player in history to do so, but his batting form had been struggling since the start of the season, and his record came to an end at 1,346 games on May 18th.

Even so, Asamura has continued to show his willingness to lead the team as a key player. On May 24th, in a game Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Fukuya Yamazaki He hit pitcher 's breaking ball and became the 56th player in history to reach 2,000 hit, and the first player born in the Heisei era to achieve this milestone.

However, even after achieving this record, Asamura struggled with poor performance and was forced to train in the minor leagues in July, making for a difficult season. In the end, he finished with a batting average of .239, 9 Home Run, and 34 RBI in 96 games, failing to achieve double-digit Home Run for the 13th consecutive year, but we can hope to see him bounce back next season.

Rui Muneyama completed the first-team season without injury, becoming the first Pacific League rookie in 44 years to receive the Best Nine award in the short stop category.

After competing with five teams, Rui Muneyama joined the team as the first draft pick and made his debut in the away game (March 28th against Orix Buffaloes). He started as the second batter and short stop in the game, and with the team trailing by one run in the top of the ninth inning, with one out and a runner on third base, he came up to bat for the fourth time. He swatted the first pitch from pitcher Machado, scoring a valuable tying run for his first professional hit. He then recorded hit in five consecutive games, getting off to a strong start.

On April 16th, in a game against Fukuoka Softbank, he hit his first professional home run, a leadoff hit off pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa. He continued to play injury-free and completed the season in the first team. He became the fourth rookie fielder to reach 100 hit, and the fastest rookie of any of the 12 teams to reach the required number of at-bats. Furthermore, he was named to Pacific League Best Nine short stop team, the first rookie in 44 years to do so, finishing his rookie year with more than enough success.

Itsuki Murabayashi won the Most hit Award and was also selected for the Mitsui Golden Glove Award and Best Nine.

In his 10th year, Itsuki Murabayashi performed even better than last season. Last season, Murabayashi was a regular at short stop, but with the addition of Muneyama, he has mainly played as third baseman this season. Despite the position change, he continued to play without a single absence, and posted consistent results, with batting averages over 30% in April, May, and July. Although his performance declined towards the end of the season, he continued to lead the batting lineup, becoming the team's leading hitter in the summer.

He also saved the team from numerous tight spots with his excellent defense combination with short stop Muneyama, forming an impenetrable third baseman. As a result, he recorded 144 hit 513 At Bat bats in 137 games, a batting average of .281, both of which were the best results on the team. He won the title for most hit, was also selected for the Mitsui Golden Glove Award and Best Nine, and grew into an indispensable member of the team.

Daisuke Nakashima, in his second year, is the leadoff hitter

In his second year, Daisuke Nakashima made his presence felt by appearing in 124 games, a significant increase from the previous year. Last season, Nakajima only played in 37 games due to injury. This season, he missed the opening day spot on the first team, but was promoted in mid-April. He made his mark in May, recording a batting average of .304, and from the middle of the season onwards, he made his presence felt as the leadoff hitter, remaining in the first team throughout the season.

Fumiya Kurokawa makes a breakthrough, posting a high average despite not reaching the required number of at-bats.

​Fumiya Kurokawa, a sixth-year high school graduate, had a breakout year. He played in 83 games, hit 90 At Bat 301 at-bats with 4 Home Run, 33 RBI, and a batting average of .299. While he didn't reach the required number of at-bats, he still had a batting average of nearly 30%, showing glimpses of his potential. In the game against Orix Buffaloes on August 5th, with neither team scoring a run, Asamura walked with one out Walk of the 11th inning. Kurokawa's classmate, Atsuki Muto came in as a pinch runner. Then, with two outs and a runner on second base, Kurokawa hit a single, and Muto made a run to score. This classmate duo, who had been working hard together since joining the team, finally put an end to their fierce battle.

Voit hit a team-leading 13 Home Run despite joining mid-season.

​Voit, who joined the team this season, also played an active role as a key player in the batting lineup. Voit joined the team in June, was registered on the first team on July 2nd, and starting line-up as the sixth batter and DH in the game against Chiba Lotte Marines on the same day. He immediately hit his first hit since coming to Japan in his second at-bat, and in his third at-bat, he hit breaking ball from pitcher Yuto Kimura, sending the ball powerfully into the middle of the left-field stands. It was a brilliant NPB debut.

Since then, Voit has continued to lead the batting lineup with his competitive batting, hitting a team-leading 13 Home Run despite joining mid-season. He is beloved by fans, and every time he steps onto the podium, he cheers on the crowd with a loud "TOHOKU is the best!" He's sure to hit even more Home Run runs next season, his first full NPB season.

Rookies Tsubasa Yoshino and Po Hsiang Yang make their first-team debuts. 2021 first-round draft Soshi Yoshino also makes his first-team debut.

​Tsubasa Yoshino, drafted fifth, and Po Hsiang Yang, drafted sixth, also made their first-team debuts. Yoshino recorded five Home Run and a batting average of .223 in 95 games with the minor league team, and was promoted for the first time on September 29th. Although he did not get his first hit, he played in two games. In November, he underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair for a recurrent dislocation of his left shoulder, and it was announced that he would need five months to return to play.

Yo was promoted for the first time on October 3rd, and on the same day against Saitama Seibu Lions, he made his first NPB at-bat as a pinch hitter, recording hit with count at 3-2. After that, he continued to show his strengths even with limited playing time, taking advantage of his speed and aggressive base running, making a big impact for next season.

In addition, 2021 first-round draft pick Soshi Yoshino made his first appearance on the first-team stage this season, his fourth year since graduating from high school. Since joining the team, fielder’s choice has gained a wealth of experience in the second-team squad, and was finally promoted to the first-team squad on September 29th. He recorded his first hit in his second game against Chiba Lotte Marines on September 30th, and made his home debut against Saitama Seibu Lions on October 3rd. In that game, he recorded his first RBI and first RBI, and expressed his joy with a powerful fist pump on the bases.

After 14 years with The Eagles, Takero Okajima retires, finishing on hit in his final at-bat

While many young players were in high spirits, another veteran who had fought for the team for many years put an end to his active career.

​Takero Okajima, who led the batting line-up as leadoff hitter in 2013 when the team won its first Japan Series championship since its founding, and who has continued to play a key role as a key player ever since, has decided to hang up his bat at the end of this season. Okajima was beloved by his teammates and fans for his gutsy play and natural cheerfulness. In his final at-bat as an active player on October 4th against Saitama Seibu Lions, he hit hit pitcher Mitsunari Takahashi, a fellow player from his hometown, to cap off his successful career. It has also been announced that from next season, he will be working as a team ambassador, promoting the appeal of the Tohoku region and the team.

Aiming for first league title in 13 years since 2013

As we have seen so far, Tohoku Rakuten Eagles has been notable for the performance of its young players this season, but Daichi Suzuki, the oldest fielder, has also supported the team as a spiritual pillar this year, not only by playing all infield positions and occasionally playing outfield defense, but also by actively encouraging his teammates in both difficult and opportune situations.

They should have enough strength to win the league title for the first time in 13 years since 2013, and become the best team in Japan. With manager Miki set to continue in his role in the 2026 season, will they be able to bring glory to Tohoku again?