Nippon-Ham pitcher Ryusei Kawano (27) started his off-season training at Escon on the 17th, looking noticeably bigger. The left-hander, who won the Best reliever title in 2024 with 33 hold, is working to increase his fastball velocity in an attempt to regain his former glory. "As a base, it's always better to be fast. Last year my average was 146, and the year before that it dropped to 47. So I want to get back to that, or even better," he said enthusiastically.

Last season, his condition did not improve after the summer, and he watched the CS on TV in Miyazaki, where the Phoenix League was being held. Bite the frustration, he has been working on transforming his body since then. He has gained 4kg. He plans to get back to his original weight in time for the opening game, while only increasing his muscle mass. "The menu they put together for me was similar to what a bodybuilder would do. It took more than two hours just to train the lower body, so it was extremely tough." In addition to improving his pitching speed, he has built a foundation that will allow him to compete all year long.

Manager Shinjo has hinted that pitcher from the starting rotation, which has become stronger with the addition of Arihara, may be moved to reliever. "It's natural in this world to use good pitcher. I just have to produce results and do what I can," said Kono. He will prove the results of his off-season training. (Yasushi Yamaguchi)