Rakuten Eagles pitcher Ren Kajiya (34) conducted voluntary training in Sendai City on the 27th, aiming to be in full swing for the second consecutive year.
Last season, he pitched in 54 games, finishing with two wins and one loss and an ERA of 3.50. Looking ahead to his second year with Rakuten Eagles, he said enthusiastically, "There are new players on the team, so I want to make this a season where I can find my place."
This offseason he is focusing on increasing his output and building a body that won't get injured. "First of all, a body that won't get injured. It's the hardest thing, but without that you can't compete. I'm preparing so that I can produce output throughout the season." He is approaching veteran level, but he won't stop challenging himself. "I want to grow more, evolve more. I never lose sight of my goals, and I take on new challenges every year," he says emphatically.
The full-scale introduction of slider is one of his new endeavors. Last season, he held right-handed hitter to Avg of .191, but struggled against left-handed hitter with Avg of .333. Until last year, the right-hander had mainly pitched with fastballs, fork, cutter, and curves, but he is considering making full use of slider as a countermeasure against left-handed hitter. "A cut ball is close to a straight ball, so if it's not pitched well, it can fly into the hit zone. If that's the case, I'd like to throw slider that's a little slower, in the mid-130 km/h range, so that the batter's head will turn," he explains his aim.
Including last year, he has pitched 50 or more games in a season three times, but has never pitched 50 or more games in two consecutive years. "It's true that I've never pitched 50 or more games in two consecutive years, so I want to try to improve my output and other things, including that," he said with determination.
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