Lotte manager Saburo, who appeared on "Professional baseball News 2026" broadcast on Fuji TV ONE on the 26th, spoke about Lotte's guardian angel.

Nomura Hiroki, who appeared on the show, said, "We talked about it before the game, but just like the manager said, he wanted to decide from the back. When I was the pitching coach, I used to think from that perspective, so frankly, I felt that this would be the thing he was most concerned about." Manager Saburo replied, "There are a few candidates, but the rest is competition. I would like to put the person who has produced the best results in that position. I would like them to compete without setting a deadline until just before the start of the season," and it seems that the competition for the closer will be extremely fierce.

Nomura summarized the current state of Lotte's pitcher, saying, "Yokoyama did well last year, and I think Nakamori is a very good pitcher, but it's difficult down the stretch. pitcher also has a little bit more to go. Winning and winning are difficult. I want them to do their best. I'd like to see them score 7, 8, or 9, or even 8 and 9." Manager Saburo then spoke about the relief pitchers, saying, "I'm the type that likes to score from the back, so I'd like to see three or four of them score quickly. It will be interesting to see what happens with Castillo and Long."

Until last season, Lotte's relief pitchers did not have a fixed win formula, but instead created winning patterns with multiple relief pitchers. Last season, the team's most hold was Rikuto Yokoyama with 20 hold, and the team's most saves was also Yokoyama with 12 saves.

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"