Lotte's Atsuki Taneichi 's 2025 begins as he aims for the most strike out title

Baseball King

2025.3.29(土) 23:30

"I say this every year, but this year I'm really going for it."

Lotte's Atsuki Taneichi is hoping to win the title of most strike out this season.

Taneichi did not reach the regulation innings pitched in 2019, but was fourth in the league at 135 strike out, and in 2008 he was only 41 strike out due to Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in September, but he led the strike out league after the July 11 Seibu game. In 2011, when he fully recovered from right elbow surgery, he was 157 strike out second in the league, and last season he was 148 strike out sixth in the league.

He once said, "I want to get batters to struck out out with fastball," but now he says, "I'm not particularly concerned about that. I just want to get struck out out," showing his eagerness to get strike out.

He mentioned that the pitches he needs to get struck out are breaking balls with fork or splitter. "Last year I was able to get strikeouts, but when I wasn't doing well, it started to take on a trajectory like two seam fastball struck out breaking ball, and I couldn't get strikeouts when I wanted to, so I'm trying to get as many new pitches as possible, like fork, that give me more drop," he said during the spring training camp in Ishigakijima.

When we told Taneichi the number of strike out with fork by year since 2019 (53 in 2019, 18 in 2020, 54 in 2023, and 52 in 2024), he remarked, "Ah, I'd like to get more."

Does he want to strike out 60 struck out in a year with fork or splitter?

"Yes, I think there is a lot of room for improvement not only with fork but also with slider, so I would like to discuss that as well and think about the rotation and the axis of rotation."

fastball of strike out was 62 last season. I hope we can do a little better regarding fastball."

Assuming that Taneichi pitches in 25 games this season, he will reach 200 strike out if strike out 8 batters per game. Will 8 strike out per game become the target?

"Yes, most people are basically working hard to get eight strike out."

The number of inning also becomes important in order to achieve 200 strike out.

"I think it would be great if I could pitch an average of seven inning, and if I pitch in 25 games, I have to pitch 7.1 innings twice, so even if I finish after six inning, I'd like to pitch as many pitches as possible so that I can pitch eight inning in the next game, but I'd also like to improve the accuracy of my pitches."

If that's the case, would the ideal pitch be like the one he threw in the game Orix on August 11th last year, when he pitched complete game win in 96 pitches?

"I was able to do it that day because fork was really good, and I hope I can continue with that image."

In order to continue pitch as he did in the game against Orix on August 11, he analyzed himself, saying, "I think conditioning will be important. Nutrition, sleep, and other such treatment are important, but I also think I need to have good technical ability to be able to consistently throw the ball even when I'm tired."

I really want to throw for a year first so that I can get the strike out king, and I also want to focus on ERA as low as possible, where I can control it," he said. He will make it a season of fastball exciting fans, fork with its large drop, splitter with its sharp and small drop, slider with its vertical drop, and pitch with its "royal road," taking and taking and taking struck out. After that, his first individual title awaits.

◆ Atsuki Taneichi 's strike out by year

2018: 28 strike out

fork: 14 (missed: 0, struck out: 14)

fastball: 10 (missed: 5, struck out: 5)

slider: 4 (1 missed, 3 missed)

2019: 135 strike out

fork: 53 (missed: 2, struck out: 51)

fastball: 52 (missed: 24, struck out: 28)

slider: 23 (missed pitches: 0, strikeouts: 23)

Vertical slider: 5 (missed: 0, missed: 5)

Ariyoshi-slider: 2 (missed: 0, struck out: 2)

2020: 41 strike out