Orix Buffaloes On the 21st, Ryuhei Sotani pitcher (25) set a "Ma-kun level" goal. He opened his voluntary training at the team's facility in Maishima, Osaka, and set a quota of reaching innings pitched the first time he reaches the regulation. He also set his sights on reaching the QS (quality start) mark for all of his appearances, saying, "I'm going to stick to the inning mark anyway. The Giants Rakuten Eagles He will try to match the record of the right-hander, who went 24-0 in 28 games, and he will try to achieve the same goal.

This offseason, he trained with Kuri. He expressed his gratitude, saying, "I'm mainly learning about mental aspects and ways of thinking from him." He was repeatedly advised, "It's okay to runs in 6 innings. If you keep it up, you'll be trusted," which led to a change in his mindset. He eliminated the tension of trying to perfectly closer long inning. In 2025, he had a career-high 8 wins, while also recording 9 quality starts in 21 starts. He pitched 114 1/3 innings, but that's 150 innings if you count 25 starts of 6 innings each. He learned the essentials of being a rotation pitcher by saying, "Just think of it that way."

He is also enthusiastic about the possibility of being selected for the Japanese national team in the World Baseball Classic, saying, "I'll do my best if I'm selected." He has already pitch in bullpen many times and is in excellent shape. (Ando Osamu)