On the 13th, Orix Buffaloes catcher Yuma Tongu (29) set his sights on "defeating the ace pitcher." He held a private training session in Miyakojima, Okinawa with his teammate Moritomo, who is one year older than him and is joining the team for the second consecutive year. "Last year (2013), I was training with Kume-san (Moritomo's personal trainer) during the season, so I'm gradually starting to understand his intentions," he said, realizing the change from a year ago and vowing to further improve his level.

In 2013, he cleared the required number of at-bats for the first time in two years, with 54 RBI, the most on the team. However, he struggled against the aces of the top two teams, hit in six At Bat against Nippon-Ham-Ham's Ito and only two in 14 At Bat hit against Softbank Hawks 's Uesawa. "I have to hit," he said, and "overcoming strong opponents" is essential to going from third place to winning the championship. "When I get tired, I put force into all sorts of things. I don't force it, or rather, I don't think about anything. It's best to just stand there naturally," he said, expressing his ideal of being able to unconsciously exert power at the plate, and on this day he focused on training his lower body.

"It's all just a spur-of-the-moment thing (laughs). It feels good once you've done it," said Moritomo, Noguchi, and Katsuki, as he started 2026 with a shaved head. "More than numbers, I just have to keep producing results in everything." The 2023 batting hitter is showing his true worth and bringing the team closer to reclaiming the championship after three years. (Shunta Nanbu)