Softbank Hawks outfielder Kensuke Kondo started preparations on the 8th for the CS Final Stage (opening on the 14th at Mizuho PayPay Dome). On this day, he participated in the first full team practice at the home stadium since the end of the regular season. He worked up a good sweat while checking his batting feel.

This season, he recorded excellent results with a .309 batting average, 32 Home Runs, and 108 RBIs. Although he did not win a title in the three major batting categories, he earned the highest on-base percentage (.431) for the fifth time in two years, a spot Manager Kokubo refers to as his 'fixed position.' He stated, 'In the beginning, I was the type of batter who would get on base to create opportunities. That was my starting point,' showing that his commitment remains unchanged. He added, 'In baseball, it's over once 27 outs are recorded. Within that framework, I've always wanted to be the batter with the lowest probability of being put out, and that hasn't changed.' He took pride in his current ability to maintain a stable on-base percentage while increasing his extra-base hits year by year.