The two right-handed pitchers, who shared the most wins for two consecutive years, will wear the same jersey starting in 2026.

pitcher Kohei Arihara, who has won the most wins title for two consecutive years, will return to Hokkaido Nippon-Ham in 2026 for the first time in six years. The team also has pitcher Hiromi Ito, who shared the most wins title with pitcher for two consecutive years, meaning that the two most-win right-handed pitchers will be wearing the same jersey.

This time, we will look at the similarities and differences between the two right-handed pitcher, based on the various performance and indicators recorded by pitcher and pitcher in the NPB. We will explore the reasons why both pitcher have continued to achieve success in Pacific League in recent years, and look forward to their continued success in 2026 and beyond.

Kohei Arihara: Utilizing his excellent control, his consistency has greatly improved over the past three years.

The following are the various statistics and metrics pitcher Arihara recorded in NPB.

In nine seasons in the NPB, his BB rate has never been above the 3-point mark, and all but 2015, his rookie year, he has had a BB rate of 2.20 or less in all eight seasons. He has also maintained a career average BB rate of 2.03, which is very good for a starter rate.

In addition, in the six years prior to his MLB challenge, he only recorded a BB rate of 1.00 in 2018, but in 2023 and 2024, two consecutive years after his return to Japanese baseball, he recorded a BB rate of 1.00. In recent years, he has shown that he has been further refining his control of the ball.

On the other hand, his career average strike out rate is a little low at 6.56, and he is not the type pitcher of player who steals many struck out. However, there were seasons early in his career when he recorded a certain strike out rate, including a career-high 8.82 strike out rate in 2019, when he recorded a career-high 15 wins, and four seasons when he recorded a strike out rate above the 7-point mark.

However, since his return to Japanese baseball in 2023, his strike out rate has been more modest than before 2020, with three consecutive years of rates in the 6-point range or lower. On the other hand, if we turn our attention to Avg, we find that for two years in a row, the average inning rate was below the career average, at .233 in 2023 and .215 in 2024, and the WHIP, which represents the average runner allowed per 1 , has also been excellent, at 1.19 or below for three consecutive years since 2023.

These figures suggest a shift toward hitting pitch more than ever after returning to Japanese baseball. In an environment where the pitching-hitting-low trend is increasing throughout the baseball world, it seems highly likely that Arihara's pitcher characteristics of being highly capable of competing hitter within the strike zone is having a great effect.

In addition, the most innings pitched seasons in the six years to 2020 were 169 inning in 2017, but the number of seasons in 2024 was 182.2 inning and in 2025 was 175 inning, showing an increasing trend in the last two years. The ability to digest a large number of inning while maintaining a certain level of stability could be a big plus for The Fighters the increased burden on relievers, which led to their struggles in the final stages of the season.

Hiromi Ito: He also won the title for most strike out last season.

The following are the various statistics and metrics that pitcher Ito recorded in NPB.

In 2021, his rookie year, his BB rate was 3.27, but his BB rate improved over the years to 2.83 in 2022 and 2.41 in 2023; in 2024, his BB rate hit 1.99, his first single point, and in 2025, it was an outstanding 1.33. It is clear that he has continued to make significant progress in terms of his control over the years, including improving his BB rate for five consecutive years since turning pro.

strike out In 2021, his first year as a pro, he recorded an excellent 8.69 rate, but in 2022, the following year, the rate dropped significantly to 6.48. However, his numbers improved every year after that, to 7.87 in 2023 and 8.22 in 2024, and in 2025, he recorded 195 strike out with 196.2 inning and a strike out rate of 8.92, close to innings pitched 's struck out number, and he made long strides, winning his first and most strike out title.

His K/BB was also modest early in his career, at 2.66 in 2021 and 2.29 in 2022, but improved to 3.27 in 2023 and 4.13 in 2024. 6.72 in 2025 was the best in the league among those who reached the innings pitched standard. His 6.72 WHIP in 2025 is the highest in the league among those who have reached the starter standard, showing that he is an outstanding player in terms of numbers.

His WHIP has remained above a certain level of 1.25 or less for five consecutive years since he started his professional career, and he has recorded excellent numbers of 1.07 or less for two years in a row since 2024. innings pitched As for his WHIP, it was around 146-155 inning until 2023, but in 2024 it was 176.1 inning, third in the league, and in 2025 it was 196.2 inning, the top in the league, and he is also developing the ability to digest many inning as a mainstay of the pitcher lineup.

2025 was also a season of bad luck for both teams.

Looking at "BABIP (Batting Average Against Home Run Intake)," which shows the percentage of batted balls that become hit (excluding home runs), pitcher Ito's career average is .289, below the benchmark of .300. On the other hand, his BABIP in 2025 was .298, the highest of his career.

BABIP is considered an indicator that is easily influenced by luck, as there are few factors that pitcher can control. The fact that pitcher achieved career highs in categories such as ERA and WHIP in what could be called his unluckiest season to date indicates that it was not due to luck, but rather that his high level of pitcher ability, including strike out rate, directly led to his good results.

In addition, pitcher Arihara's BABIP allowed in 2025 was .288, which was higher than his career average of .278. Considering that both pitcher performed so well, winning the most wins despite having less-than-career-average seasons, it's reasonable to think that if they record a BABIP allowed below their career average from 2026 onwards, even better results can be expected.

Will the two winning right-handed pitchers with good control and long inning lead their team to the top?

The 196.2 innings pitched recorded by Ito pitcher in 2025 ranks first in the league, and Arihara pitcher 's 175 innings pitched ranks second in the same league, so both pitcher are truly among the league's best inning in terms of digestibility. mound runner In addition to the many opportunities to wait for backup at the plate, both pitcher have high control of their pitches and rarely carry the load, and their excellent consistency has resulted in the most wins two years in a row.

While they share these similarities, Arihara pitcher, who develops a hitting pitch style, and Ito pitcher, a serious right-hander who has won the title for the most strike out hits, have slightly different pitcher types. The fact that both pitcher have different strengths should also be a strength for the team in terms of rotation composition.

Will the two right-handers, who both won the Rookie of the Year award Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and have shared the most wins in the last two years, lead The Fighters to the top of the league, which they have failed to reach for the past two years? The pitch that both pitcher will show in 2026 could very well determine the course of the pennant race.

Text by Ryota Mochizuki