On the 27th, Orix Buffaloes Buffaloes pitcher Anderson Espinoza (27) brought his "world's fastest man" change-up to Japan, vowing to continue improving in his third year here. After the 2015 season, he was introduced to a pitcher coach in Miami, USA, by his teammate and closer, Machado, who had experience coaching Chapman (Red Sox). "Chapman also throws a great change-up. He really emphasized the importance of releasing the ball in front of him," he said, revealing that Chapman taught him the tricks.

He added this pitch to his repertoire in 2013, when he recorded five wins. "Right now, I don't think the opposing hitter are really thinking about it. By increasing the percentage, I can make hitter think more," he said, as he has been improving his accuracy in preparation for 2014. The left side he complained of discomfort towards the end of the season has now fully healed. "I've been working on everything I need: the stamina to pitch long inning and the physical strength to throw strong pitches," he said, arriving in Japan on the 24th, and on that day he showed off his powerful game catch at Maishima in Osaka.

The Japanophile right-handed pitcher revealed that he wants to name his son, due in February, "Kenzo," saying, "I want to give him a Japanese name. I really like the beautiful sound of it." He clenched his fist and added, "When I'm on mound, I'll give it my all. As a team, we'll bring the championship back to Osaka." (Shunta Nanbu)