Rakuten Eagles Eagles manager Hajime Miki (48) revealed on the 2nd that the opening day pitcher is still undecided, saying "I can't say anything yet," and expressed his hope for fierce competition. Hayakawa, who had the important role for the past two years, underwent surgery on his left shoulder in September of last year, and it is unclear whether he will be fully fit by the start of the season. This has created a situation where many players have a chance. "I have a strong desire for Shoji and Koja to make further progress this year by making use of their experience, and we also have Maeda and the foreign player (Contreras) coming. Including Fujii and Kishi, we have enough players to compete for the starting pitcher," he said with anticipation.

Finishing fourth last season, there were zero pitcher who reached the regulation innings pitched. The most wins starter were Fujii's 109 2/3 innings, and the most wins were the seven by Furukawa. The team's coach said, "If we don't compete within the team, we won't be able to beat our opponents and we won't be strong as a team, so that's what we want. The team's starters, who were a problem last season, must be rallied. The team will work hard to improve while aiming for the opening day spot.