Hatsuhiko Tsuji and Masaki Saito, who appeared on 'Professional baseball News 2026' broadcast on Fuji TV ONE on the 5th, mentioned McCusker of the Rakuten Eagles.

Tsuji praised him, saying, "He was amazing from around the interleague games. After that, he was studied and faced various strategies, and there were times when he was in a slump, but he is still a threat. In his case, I think he is smart. He seems like the kind of batter who thinks and reads the pitch distribution in a way that matches Japanese baseball to some extent."

Mr. Saito also expressed high expectations, saying, "His flight distance is incredible. He can hit to the opposite field, from the center fielder to the right side. It is a matter of the habits of Japanese pitchers, or rather, their way of attacking. They tend to throw many breaking balls. If he studies those things from now on, I think next year will be even more exciting."

Tomotaka Sakaguchi, who served as the program MC, also commented, "Being able to hit a home run to right-center is significant. I think the instances where his thoughts on how to attack and what to do with his swing align have finally increased. It feels like something to look forward to even more next year."

In his first year in Japan this season, McCusker appeared in 102 games and recorded a .246 batting average, 24 Home Runs, and 70 RBI, including hitting a team-high 24 Home Runs.

☆ Cooperation: Fuji TV ONE "Professional baseball News 2026"