In the offseason of 2024, two players joined Pacific League teams as compensation.
In the offseason of 2024, as personnel compensation for Eigoro Mogi, who exercised his free agent rights and transferred to Tokyo Yakult, Kohiro Komori The player joined Tohoku Rakuten. In addition, as personnel compensation for Takuya Kai, who also exercised his free agent rights and transferred to The Giants, Yusuke Ito pitcher has joined Fukuoka Softbank.
This time, we will introduce the baseball careers of both players who are hoping to make it big in a new world, as well as their achievements in the first and second divisions, and their characteristics and strengths as players. We will explore the possibility of these two talented players, who both have a lot of room to grow, making a breakthrough, and look forward to their big leaps in Pacific League.
He steadily improved his batting performance over the past three years, and was named the second-division stolen base leader in 2024.
Komori's annual performance in the first and second divisions is as follows:
Komori joined Tokyo Yakult as the fourth draft pick in 2021 from Ube Technical High School. In his first year as a professional in 2022, he played in 22 games in the minor league, struggling with a batting average of .200, but gained valuable experience. In 2023, he more than doubled his opportunities to play in the minor league to 49 games, batting .230, 3 Home Run, and 8 stolen base, showing his growth from the previous year.
In his third year in 2024, he became a main player in the second team, playing in 110 games and reaching the required number of at-bats. In addition to steadily improving his batting average to .252, he recorded 24 stolen base and was Eastern League 's stolen base leader. He also made his first team debut in September, raising high expectations for the future.
In the offseason of the same year, he transferred to Tohoku Rakuten as compensation for Mogi, who exercised his free agent rights, so his fourth season as a professional will be in a new place. Although he only played in four first-team games in 2024, will he be able to significantly increase his opportunities to play in the first team in a new environment?
The second base and shortstop position is a fierce battleground with three talented players...
Next, let's look at Komori's defense performance in the minor leagues.
In 2022 and 2023, he did not play any games other than short stop, but he will try his defense at second baseman from 2024. That year, he played more games as second baseman, 60 games as short stop and 52 games as second baseman.
This season, Tohoku Rakuten has a golden rookie player, Rui Muneyama, who was competed for by five teams in the draft, and is showing his skills as short stop in the exhibition games. In addition, as second baseman, 2023 stolen base king Hiroto Kobukata, who won the Best Nine and Golden Glove Awards for the first time in 2024, has established a solid position.
In addition, Itsuki Murabayashi who is known for his strong defense ability and was a regular short stop in 2024, is also on the team. For Komori, who mainly plays in the second base and shortstop position, it can be said that a tough battle awaits him to establish himself as a regular.
However, last season, the two absolute regulars played in most games, with Kofukuda playing 131 games at second base and Murabayashi playing 138 games at short stop. On the other hand, among the other players, Fumiya Kurokawa played the most games as second baseman with 14 games, and there was no other player other than Murabayashi who played more than 10 games as short stop.
With the addition of Munesada, the position between second base and shortstop has become a fierce battleground, but it is undeniable that the reserve players are thin. Furthermore, the team's number of stolen base last season was 90, just one behind the league leader, and it is an environment in which players with strong legs are highly valued. Will Komori be able to use his natural speed to establish himself in the first team and greatly expand his field of activity in his new home?
After overcoming Tommy John surgery, he pitched brilliantly as the guardian angel of the second division last season.
The annual performance records recorded by pitcher Ito in the first and second divisions are as follows:
pitcher Ito played for Tokyo Metropolitan Oyamadai High School, Chuo University, and Mitsubishi Power before joining the The Giants with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft. In 2021, his first year as a professional, he was unable to make the first team due to injuries, and in November of the same year, he underwent Tommy John surgery. With the prospect of a long-term absence, he was transferred to a developmental player contract in the off-season.
After overcoming a long rehabilitation spanning more than a year, he returned to action in 2023 with the Second Army. In 2024, he made 40 appearances for the Twins and made a comeback, making 14 saves as a defender and showing off his dominant pitch with a ERA 1.29. In recognition of this performance, he won a return to control in July of the same year.
In the same year, he also became the first team player to mound the team, appearing in eight games and pitching well with a 1 hold and a ERA 1.04. He proved that his pitch could be used in the military arena. In the 2025 season, he will be looking to show the same stable pitch as he did last year after moving to Fukuoka Softbank and make further strides in his new home.
In addition to his high strike out rate, he is also showing signs of improvement in long-standing issues.
From here, let's take a look at pitcher Ito's strike out rate and BB rate that he has recorded in the minor leagues.
In 2021, his first year as a pro, he was inconsistent with a ERA 4.30 in 16 games, but he had an impressive 11.74 strike out with 30 struck out in 23 inning. In his return to action in 2023, he recorded a 2 struck out in 1 inning, suggesting that his strike out power, which makes use of his fastball that tops out at over 150 km/h, is a major asset.
However, in 2024, while the second army showed a stable pitch of ERA 1.29, the strike out rate was 7.29, which was lower than before. However, he has a record of 8.2 inning and a strike out rate of 8.31 in the first team, which is a reassuring factor for him to record above a certain level on a high-level stage.
Looking at his BB rate, he struggled with a 6.26 BB percentage in 2021, which was one of the factors that made his ERA worse. However, in 2024, the numbers improved to 4.07 in the second army, and the BB BB rate of 3.12 in the first army. The fact that there were signs of stability in terms of control, which had been an issue, can be said to be an element that holds great promise for the future.
Can he turn his transfer as compensation into an opportunity and become a reliable player in his new environment?
Komori, who has a strong leg strength that earned him Eastern League stolen base base title, is hoping to take advantage of the Tohoku Rakuten team's weak second and shortstop positions to increase his playing time. pitcher also showed improved strike out ability and control in the first team last season, so there is a good chance he will be able to break into the deep Fukuoka Softbank pitcher staff and make a strong presence.
Will Komori and pitcher be able to turn their transfers as compensation into an opportunity to contribute to the team as reliable new players in their new home? Keep an eye on them after the start of the season to see whether these two players, each with their own great strengths, will make a big leap forward in Pacific League.
Text by Ryota Mochizuki
