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

Daisuke Nakashima, who joined Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles as the 6th pick in the 2023 draft, used his speed to gain experience in the first team from his rookie year. In his second year, he played in 124 games, tied for second on the team, and cleared the required number of plate appearances. From July onwards, he led the offense as the leadoff hitter and recorded 22 stolen base, fifth in the league, making it a breakout year for him. This time, we will focus on the changes from 2024 onwards and clarify Nakajima's growth and challenges.

He recorded good results despite his weak left arm

One of the key differences from 2024 that stands out is his performance against left-handed and right-handed pitcher. In 2024, he recorded a batting average of .272 against right-handed pitcher, but struggled against left-handed pitcher, batting in the .100s. This highlighted his weakness against southpaws, but in 2025 he posted a strong batting average of .288. He showed good compatibility against specific pitcher, recording 5 At Bat in 9 hit pitcher Hokkaido Nippon-Ham-Ham's Takayuki Kato and 4 At Bat in 10 at-hit, including a Home Run run, pitcher Saitama Seibu Lions 's Shinya Sugai.

Improved ability to handle breaking ball

Looking at the results by pitch type, his batting average against left-handed pitcher' breaking ball improved dramatically from .069 in 2024 to .313 in 2025. His contact rate increased by 9.7 points from 2024, exceeding the league average of 72.6%. Compared to 2024, he swung and missed less, improving his ability to handle breaking ball. Although his batting average against fastball decreased, his contact rate against fastballs also increased from 2024, recording a number above the league average. After the end of the 2024 season, he himself cited his ability to handle breaking ball as an area for improvement, but it can be said that he made a remarkable adaptation in 2025.

A sharp increase in balls hit in the opposite direction

For left-handed pitcher, the direction of batted balls has also shown a significant difference since 2024. In 2024, batted balls to the right accounted for half of all batted balls, but in 2025, that percentage decreased, while batted balls to the left increased dramatically to 40.2%. In contrast to the pull tendency in 2024, batted balls to the opposite field increased in 2025, allowing for hits to be made to all fields. Generally, to hit the ball to the opposite field, it is necessary to wait until the ball is closer before hitting it. Bringing the contact point closer means watching the ball for a longer time, which is thought to be contributing to the aforementioned increase in the contact rate.

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