Rakuten Eagles announced on the 4th that outfielder Kazuki Tanaka (32) will retire from active duty at the end of this season.
Kazuma Tanaka joined the team as the third-round draft pick in 2016 from Rikkyo University. Utilizing his high physical ability, he excelled in running, hitting, and fielding. In 2018, he appeared in 105 games. He won the Rookie of the Year award with a batting average of .265 and 18 Home Runs.
In recent years, he has struggled with injuries and has had no first-team appearances so far this season. In his career, he played in 615 games with a .214 batting average, 31 Home Runs, and 94 RBI.
A ceremony is scheduled to be held at the 2026 Fan Appreciation Festival.
![[Hiroshima] Hirosuke Tanaka and Ryuhei Matsuyama, key players in the team's three consecutive championships, will leave the team this season. Both want to continue playing and have refused proposals such as retirement games.](https://hochi.news/images/2025/09/30/20250930-OHT1I51283-L.jpg)
![[Hiroshima] Kosuke Tanaka says 'I want to give a good performance' as he plays in the final game on the 4th; Ryuhei Matsuyama says 'I want to show that I can still do it'](https://hochi.news/images/2025/10/02/20251002-OHT1I51250-L.jpg)
