Since joining the team in the 2011 draft, he has been supporting Chiba Lotte Marines bullpen as a reliever. Naoya Masuda pitcher He has been a reliever ever since he was drafted in the 2011 draft. In his rookie year of 2012, he won the Rookie of the Year title with 72 appearances, the most by a rookie in his career, and he also won the Saves Championship in 2013 and 2009.

In 2011, he was inconsistent in the low ERA 3s, but last season he made an impressive comeback. Although the number of appearances and saves were down from the previous year, he marked the first time in three years ERA that he reached the two-point mark, and his Avg numbers were the best in his 13 years as a pro. In this issue, we would like to explore with data the factors that have helped Masuda pitcher regain a stable pitch

The key to success or failure is his signature sinker

Masuda pitcher has three main balls: fastball, slider, and sinker. He also has a cutter and a curve, but from the time he entered the professional ranks to this point, he has basically built his pitch around these three pitches. Among them, the sinker is a ball that can be said to be synonymous with the right-hander, but if you look at the Avg by pitch type by year, you can see that the sinker number worsened in '23, when the performance dropped. And in '24, he has again left an excellent Avg, and it seems that the key to the ups and downs of his performance is sinker.

sinker will be faster from 2023

pitcher has been throwing two types of sinker for some time now: one that is slow and has a large change in velocity, and one that is fast and has a small change in velocity, and up until 2022, his overall average pitch speed was just over 130km/h. However, from 2011, both types have become faster. The fast one with a small change in velocity can sometimes reach the 140km/h range, and the overall average pitch speed has increased by about 3km.

The impact of increased speed on sinker

sinker was improved in '23, but it cannot be said that it was effective this season, and his strikeout rate of 29.3% was the second lowest of his career. This is merely speculation, but in exchange for the increased speed, the ball's movement decreased, making it easier for hitter to make contact. Although his ground ball rate remained excellent, the reduced strikeout rate had a large impact on inning shots after putting the batter in a tight spot, which is thought to have led to a worsening Avg.

Looking at 2012, the strikeout rate has suddenly increased. The pitch has been refined to one that continues to increase in speed while still eliciting strikeouts, recording the third highest rate of his career at 47.0%. After renewing his contract last offseason, pitcher himself said that "my drop ball wasn't good this year," but the data showed that it was the sharpest pitch in recent years. It is interesting to note the gap between his own impressions and the data, and we will continue to pay attention to what kind of sinker he will use when he takes the mound this season and what kind of results he will achieve.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with the great relievers of the past

In his 13 years as a professional baseball player, Masuda has been tough, failing to pitch in 50 games only twice. pitcher has pitched in a total of 747 games so far. He is tied for fifth all-time in the NPB in saves with 243, and is expected to reach the 250-save mark this season, which is a prerequisite for joining the National League Baseball Hall of Fame.

In addition, 172 hold is also the sixth highest number in his career, which clearly shows that he has pitched in many tense situations and led Chiba Lotte to win many times since he started his professional career. The right-hander, who decided to stay with the team when he obtained his domestic FA rights in 2007, saying "I want to Chiba Lotte win the championship," will continue to swing his arm in the final mound inning to achieve his long-cherished goal.

*All figures in the text and table are as of the end of the 2024 season.

Text and Data Stadium