Pacific League: Lotte vs Seibu Lions (6th, ZOZO Marine Stadium)

Lotte outfielder Misho Nishikawa has secured his first-ever title for the most hits. He was in the starting line-up as the number one hitter and left fielder. In his second at-bat with one out and a runner on first in the third inning, he hit a single to left field off Seibu Lions starter Takeuchi for his 155th hit of the season, tying him with Ryoma Nishikawa of the Orix Buffaloes, who has already completed his full schedule. As he pumped his fist, his teammates in the dugout also smiled and applauded.

He joined the team as the first-round draft pick in 2024, won the Rookie of the Year award in his first season last year, and has now secured a title for the second consecutive year. This marks the first time in five years that a player from the club has taken the title since Takashi Ogino in 2021.

Last season, entering as the first-round draft pick rookie, he won the Rookie of the Year award. Even in a season where the 'sophomore slump' was a concern, he recorded a .291 batting average, 8 Home Runs, and 53 RBI in 135 games (stats as of the 5th). While being studied by other teams, he felt a definite growth in his hitting. 'I've started to understand things like, because this part is bad, that part becomes bad. I've gradually come to understand the reasons for my slumps. I think my ability to make adjustments has improved little by little.' The ability to correct bad habits in his batting form through trial and error became one of the factors for his breakthrough.

Immediately after the end of last season, he began weight training and worked hard on physical transformation. It was his 155th hit, a milestone reached precisely because of his insatiable desire for improvement, as he noted, 'My body is still quite thin compared to the power hitters around me.'

Misho Nishikawa: Born March 25, 2003, in Wakayama Prefecture. 23 years old. He started playing baseball with the Kawabe Winstars youth baseball club and reached the quarterfinals of the Spring Koshien in his second year at Ryukoku University Heian High School. He was named league MVP twice at Aoyama Gakuin University. He served as the cleanup hitter for the university national team and was selected for the Samurai Japan top team for the first time in his third year. He joined Lotte as a first-round draft pick in 2024. 182 cm, 88 kg. Right-handed pitcher and batter. His salary for this season is 42 million yen.