Lotte Ryo Sakai pitcher trained with Yuki Karakawa pitcher at their home base, ZOZO, on May 5.

The right-handed pitcher, who hails from Tomisato City, Chiba Prefecture, joined the team in 2024 as the fourth pick in the draft from Kanto Daiichi High School. In his first year last season, he made his first-team debut in the final game of the season against Softbank Hawks.

When it came time for his first voluntary training, he was approached by Karakawa, a 19-year-old veteran right-hander from Narita City, Chiba. "Karakawa invited me, so I went," said the 19-year-old with a shy smile. "I don't have a car, so if I had to drive myself home, it would be my mother. I think she's considerate of that, so she drives me there and back," he said. He travels between his parents' home in Tomisato City and training locations like Zozo in the passenger seat of Karakawa's car.

His goal this season is to follow in Kimura's footsteps. The right-handed pitcher, who joined the team as the third pick in the 2011 draft from Kasumigaura, is one year older than Kimura. Last season, in his second year after graduating from high school, he made his debut in the first team, recording 3 wins, 2 losses, 1 ERA 3.31 in 22 games. "I want to go to training camp and throw as much as I can, so that I can throw as much as I can from my second year, just like Kimura," he said, pitching with force to impress the management.