Nippon-Ham Fighters infielder Tatsuki Mizuno Mizuno (25) announced on the 16th that his goal for this season is to hit double-digit Home Run. As a Japanese player on the team, primarily playing Home Run, if he reaches double-digit home runs, he will be the first Japanese player to do so in 27 years, since Kaneko Makoto hit 14 in 2009. "I really want to hit double-digit (Home Run). I hit seven in my first year and seven in my second year, and missed a month in a row (due to injury), so I'm wasting my time. I don't know if I can hit more than three in that month, but I don't think it's impossible, so I want to hit the most in the second base/shortstop position." Last season, he started 85 games as short stop, the most on the team. He hit seven home Home Run in two consecutive years since his third year, and last season he had a slugging percentage of 40%. He plans to maximize his strengths.
Last season, the team Home Run runs, the most in both leagues. "I want to be in the top five on the team," said Reyes (32 last season), Mannami (20), Kiyomiya Yuki (12), Mizutani (12), and Gunji (10), fueling his fighting spirit as a member of a powerful batting lineup that includes him.
The source of his power is his strong physique. Despite being relatively small at 171 cm, Mizuno's bench press max is 140 kg. Manager Shinjo's Instagram post last year, showcasing Mizuno's impressive strength, sparked a buzz. "People often ask about bench presses, but I haven't been doing them lately. I've been doing them with dumbbells, but the bench press limits my range of motion. With dumbbells, the distance between the legs is a little farther, so I can stretch while doing them," he said, revealing that he switched to dumbbells during last season. He currently trains with a 44 kg dumbbell on each side. While the total weight is lighter than bench presses, it allows for deeper stretching and more efficient training. He has successfully gained weight from 78 kg during last season to 81 kg. "My body has gotten bigger, my swing is stronger, and I can feel the changes myself, which makes baseball more fun," he said, expressing his appreciation for his growth.
On the 14th, it was officially decided that new foreign player Castro would join the team, playing in the second and shortstop position. In the opening game against Softbank Hawks on March 27th, the opposing team's starting pitcher will be Moinelo, and Yamagata has been confirmed to play fifth batter and shortstop, meaning he will be competing with Kamikawabata and third-round draft pick Otsuka (Tokai University). "I won't lose. It's really no fun if I can't play in the game. I don't know if I'll be short stop or second baseman, but I'll play in the second and shortstop position and hit 10 home runs. I won't waver from that." His powered-up number 43 will make a difference.
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