Orix Buffaloes Shumpeita Yamashita pitcher (23) set a goal of "160 km/h in February" for a complete awakening on February 22. He opened his voluntary training at the team's facility in Maishima, Osaka, and said, "Only one of us can pitch the season opener. He has a clear vision for the first season opener since 2011, when he won the rookie of the year title with nine wins (three losses). pitcher

"How fast I can throw the ball in the cold is a very good indicator. I want to throw 160 km/h." He is increasing his output at a faster pace than he did a year ago when he was undergoing rehabilitation for spondylolysis, and has already recorded 153 km/h in bullpen in the middle of winter. His biggest goal is to prevent his back pain from recurring, and during his personal training he is conscious of pitch form, focusing on his abdominal muscles and core. "It's also important to develop a physique that can produce (speed)," he said, and he is aiming to first break the "big mark" during training camp. He is also aiming to break his personal best of 161 km/h this season.

"It will definitely broaden my range. Ideally, I would like to be able to curve the ball enough to miss the center of the bat, while still having a high ball speed," he said, eager to improve the accuracy of his new cutter, which is similar to a "slutter" in the high 140 km/h range. After 25 years in which he ended up with one win in four games, he smiled and said, "On the other hand, I'm looking forward to the results when I can get through a year without injury." Shunpei Dai, in the Year of the Horse, will break through. (Nambu Shunta)