This season will be a very important one for Seibu Lions 's Manaya Nishikawa.

Nishikawa was expected to be a regular player every year, but he was unable to secure a regular spot until last season, his eighth year as a professional, when he became the leadoff hitter. He played in a career-high 124 games that season, batting .264 with 10 Home Run, 38 RBI, and 25 stolen base, and finally secured a regular position.

He was competing for a regular spot until last season, but this year he will be a regular player as he enters spring training and exhibition games. However, he only performed well last season. To a certain extent, he has become a reliable player, but to become a permanent regular, he needs to perform at the same level as last season from the start of this year.

Seibu Lions acquired Masayuki Kuwahara as a free agent this offseason and strengthened their An-Ko Lin, so the competition is even more intense than last season. Even though Nishikawa performed well last season, the depth of outfield is increasing, so he must feel a sense of urgency that there are other players who can take his place. He will want to perform well from the start of this season and establish himself as a regular player.