Completed the required number of at-bats in the second year

Daisuke Nakashima joined Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles as the sixth pick in the 2023 draft. Leveraging his speed, he gained experience in the first team from his rookie year, and in his second year he played in 124 games, tying for second on the team and clearing the required number of at-bats. Since July, he has led the batting lineup as the leadoff hitter, recording 22 stolen base fifth in the league, making for a breakthrough year. This article focuses on Nakajima's changes from 2024 onward, highlighting his growth and challenges.

He recorded good results despite his weak left arm

The first difference to note from 2024 is his performance against left-handed and right-handed pitcher. In 2024, he recorded a batting average of .272 against right-handed pitcher, but his batting average against left-handed pitcher was in the single digits. He still had issues dealing with southpaws, but in 2025 he posted a strong batting average of .288. Looking at pitcher he faced, he recorded 5 At Bat in 9 hit against Hokkaido Nippon-Ham-Ham pitcher Takayuki Takayuki Kato, and 4 At Bat and 1 Home Run hit against Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher Shinya Sugai, demonstrating his good chemistry with the team.

Improved ability to deal with breaking ball

Looking at pitches by type, his batting average against breaking ball from left-handed pitcher was .069 in 2024, a dramatic improvement to .313 in 2025. His contact rate increased by 9.7 points from 2024, exceeding the league average of 72.6%. His strikeouts and misses decreased compared to 2024, and he improved his ability to adapt to breaking ball. While his batting average against fastball has decreased, his contact rate has also increased from 2024, exceeding the league average. After the 2024 season, he himself cited his ability to adapt to breaking ball as an issue, but it's fair to say he showed impressive adaptation in 2025.

A sharp increase in balls hit in the opposite direction

Against left-handed pitcher, the tendency for ball direction has also shown a big difference since 2024. In 2024, half of the balls were hit to the right, but in 2025, that proportion decreased, with balls hit to the left increasing significantly to 40.2%. In contrast to the tendency for balls to be pulled in 2024, the number of balls hit in the opposite direction increased in 2025, allowing for hits over a wider range. Generally, to hit a ball in the opposite direction, it is necessary to pull the ball closer to hit it. Bringing the contact point closer also means looking at the ball for a longer period of time, which is thought to be related to the increase in contact rate mentioned above.

Challenges ahead for the 2026 season

breaking ball While he has improved his ability to deal with the "I", he has also left room for growth for 2026 and beyond: in 2025, he had a ball zone swing percentage of 41.6%, higher than the league average, which was second from the bottom among the league's regulation hitters. As a leadoff man who is expected to be a chance-maker, one of his important jobs is to win Walk the ball even when he does not get a hit. By improving his ball zone swing rate, he hopes to win more Walk and improve his ground ball rate, which was only .294.

Nakajima has shown steady growth since his rookie year. number He has high potential in all aspects of his game, including offense and defense, and if he continues to develop at this pace, it won't be long before he becomes one of the best outfielder players in the league.

All figures are as of the end of the 2025 season.

Text: Data Stadium