Kenji Koshino, who appeared on "Professional baseball News 2026" broadcast on Fuji TV ONE on the 26th, mentioned Lotte's Kyota Fujiwara.

Last season, his seventh as a professional, Fujiwara reached the required number of plate appearances for the first time in his career, playing in 107 games and recording a batting average of .271, 4 Home Run, 24 RBI, and 15 stolen base.

Koshino points out, "We want to give him as many at-bats as possible. There are players who are suitable for the leadoff role. I don't think we can say that Fujiwara has established himself as the leadoff hitter, given batting order."

"There is a lot of anticipation as to which batting order I will be placed in this year. One year is not enough; to be recognized as a professional, you need to produce results for two or three years in a row, so this year is the year to make a difference," he said, expressing his opinion.

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