Seibu Lions Lions manager Fumiya Nishiguchi (53) indicated on the 3rd that he intends to have their first-round draft pick, catcher Taiga Kojima (22) from Meiji University, focus solely on catcher. Although Kojima's hitting ability is also a strength, Nishiguchi stated, "For now, I'm only thinking about catcher." Kojima will be competing for the starting catcher from spring training, where he is almost certain to start with the first team.

It's not easy to become a regular player. Last season, Koga Yu started the most games on the team, 95 times. The manager urged him, saying, "His throwing is so good there's almost nothing more to say. To make the most of that, he needs to improve his lead a little more." Other players vying for the position include Sumitani, who is in his 21st season this season, as well as Tsuge, Furuichi, and Makino, making it a fierce battlefield.

Last season, when younger pitcher were starting, Sumitani was used in starting line-up. There is a possibility that this will be done again this season. The manager expressed his expectations for the rookie, saying, "We have so many different types of pitcher, so I think it will be really difficult to figure out how to manage them. He just has to get into bullpen from spring training, catch pitches, and learn little by little as he grows." (Ayami Onaka)