On the 17th, Rakuten Eagles manager Hajime Miki (48) commented on Rakuten Eagles 's Naoto Nishiguchi (29), who has expressed a desire to try his hand at starting pitching.
Last season, Nishiguchi pitched in 52 games as a reliever, posting 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 save in 31 hold and 1.07 ERA innings pitched. 70 strike out and 12.43 strike out in 50 2/3 innings pitched were among the best in the league. This offseason, he is training hard with an eye on becoming a starter, and the right-hander says he is determined to "become pitcher a starter and lead the team in the 2026 season.
Regarding Nishiguchi's use, Manager Miki said, "If you ask me which one (starter or relief) I have no comment right now," revealing that no decision has been made at this point. He plans to have further discussions with Nishiguchi in the future to determine his use policy. "I think it's best to use his strengths. If that's what he wants (to be a starter), then I think we need to have a thorough discussion and decide what to do."
While he has the ability to be a pillar of the starting pitching staff, having Nishiguchi as a reliever in the late innings also brings a great sense of security to the team. The manager reflected, "I can imagine him being in the rotation as a starter, and looking back at last year, having Nishiguchi there in the eighth inning was a big help to the team and helped us win. When we think about where he can show his strengths and how we can make the most of him as a team, I don't think it's something to just say now whether he should be a starter or a reliever. I want to have a thorough discussion with Nishiguchi and make sure he doesn't waver, and prepare so that he can go wherever we decide."
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