"I went to the winter league and worked on the issues I had noticed there, such as how to look at the ball."

Hikaru Takano, in his third year as a development player at Lotte, spent the off-season facing his challenges.

In his first year as a pro, in his 24th year, he made his first professional appearance starting line-up on August 7, Seibu Lions against the second team, 0-0 in the 1st inning with two outs bases loaded and the first at bat, Shota Hamaya threw the 6th pitch cutter of 133 km to left grand slam from 2 ball 2 strike, and he made his second year regular season first hit with a flashy first professional Home Run. Last season, his second year, he was hoping to show his long hitting ability, but in 19 games He finished with a .195 batting average in 19 appearances, Home Run 0, and 4 RBI.

During the season, while his playing time was limited, he reflected, "I was always preparing. I always wanted to play and hit, but if I still couldn't play, I think there was something going on." After returning to the dormitory, he said, "I always watch the first-division games at night, but I did a lot of weight training, stretching, and other things," while watching the first-division regular season, and also worked on improving his own stamina and technique through weight training and other activities.

Although he finished the regular season with zero Home Run, in the Miyazaki Phoenix League against Seibu Lions on October 17th, he hit a huge home run into the upper left field in the eighth inning with two outs and no runner on base and the score at 7-2.

Takano, along with his teammates Konoshin Tomiyama, Tsuyoshi Tanimura, and Kazuki Fujita, participated in the Japan Winter League Advance 2025 (Okinawa) for about a month from November 22nd. However, they only played in 13 games, with a batting average of .161 and RBI.

"I don't have the impression that I hit much in Phoenix, and I didn't hit well in the winter league either. I want to focus on hitting long balls, but I don't think I'll be able to stay in the team unless I also focus on my contact rate, so I want to focus on hitting long balls while also getting on base and increasing my contact rate."

In order to increase his contact rate, he says, "I try to hit with the machine with the mindset of not making any mistakes."

After the winter league ended, he did some voluntary training with Seibu Lions 's Daiju Nomura. During his voluntary training with Nomura, he said, "He's a player who plays in the first team, so I had a lot to learn." It was a fulfilling time.

Takano's registered position is outfielder. The competition for first-team outfielder is fierce, but the farm team is just as competitive. Even though it's a farm team, you still need to make an impression in order to play in a game. Takano is enthusiastic, saying, "I want to hit long balls from the start of camp, stand out, and get noticed. I want to do my best so I can get a chance."

Last season he ended up with zero Home Run in the farm team, but this season he has set a goal of "I didn't hit any last year, so I want to hit five for now." "Results are everything, so I want to produce results and be recognized." In his third year, he will be looking to make an impression with his long hits, which are his weapon.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita