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 improved significantly over the past three years

The various statistics and indicators that pitcher Arihara recorded in NPB are as follows.

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: Last season he also won the title for most strike out

The various statistics and indicators recorded by pitcher Ito in NPB are as follows.

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 the fact that he has improved 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 the "BABIP allowed," which indicates the percentage of batted balls in hit Home Run pitcher 's career average was .289, below the standard of .300. On the other hand, his BABIP allowed in 2025 was .298, the highest of his career.

BABIP allowed is considered an indicator that is easily influenced by luck, with few factors that pitcher pitcher control. The fact that Ito achieved career-high results in categories such as ERA and WHIP in what could be considered his unluckiest season to date shows that his good performance was directly linked to his high pitcher ability, including strike out rate, rather than to luck.

In addition, pitcher 's BABIP allowed in 2025 was .288, higher than his career average of .278. Considering that both pitcher were lucky enough to win the most wins despite having seasons with less luck than their career averages, it seems reasonable to assume that even better results can be expected if they record a BABIP allowed below their career average from 2026 onwards.

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

pitcher 's 196.2 innings pitched pitched in 2025 was the best in the league, and pitcher 's 175 innings pitched was second, making both pitcher truly among the best in the league inning pitching. In addition to the many opportunities to wait for support on mound, both pitcher have excellent control and rarely allow runner on base, making them both extremely stable and contributing to their two consecutive wins.

While they share these similarities, Arihara, pitcher pitch to get batters to hit the ball, and Ito, a genuine right-handed pitcher who has won the most strike out title, are quite different types of pitcher. Having two pitcher with different strengths could be a strength for the team when it comes to forming a rotation.

These two right-handed pitcher, who both won Rookie of the Year awards with Hokkaido Nippon-Ham and shared the most wins title together for the past two years, will lead The Fighters to the top of the league, a place they have eluded for the past two years. There is a strong possibility that pitch they show in 2026 will determine the outcome of the pennant race.

Written by Ryota Mochizuki