Since I was given the opportunity to pitch, I felt that if I didn't make a strong impression here, there wouldn't be a next year for me. I think it was good that I was able to do that.

Lotte's Yuji Nishino showed his determination in his final appearance of the season against the Seibu Lions on October 5th, pitching seven innings with zero runs as the closer.

◆ For this season

Nishino showed consistently stable pitch performance even at an age considered veteran, recording 8 wins in 2023 when he returned to the starting rotation and a career-high 9 wins the following year in 2024. Last season, in addition to outings where he lacked run support from the lineup early in the season, there was also a period where he was sidelined due to injury, and he finished without a win, recording 0 wins and 4 losses with a 3.08 ERA over 9 games and 49 2/3 innings.

He said, "I think I was able to work hard," regarding his preparation for this season after undergoing rigorous training. In his first game of the season, an exhibition game against the Rakuten Eagles on February 21, he allowed 3 runs in 2 innings, but on February 28 against the Rakuten Eagles, he pitched 3 scoreless innings.

(After thinking for a moment) What I want to do and what I am planning to do aren't coming out well on the mound. Even when a batter is standing there and I am on the mound, rather than focusing on the results, I think it is important whether or not I can actually execute those things, but I haven't been able to do that well. To be honest, if you asked me if I'm in great form, I don't think that's the case, and that's how the last two games have felt for now.

Of course, I think there will be competition, and since the manager has changed, there are aspects like that as well. However, even if I get results through haphazard adjustments, I don't think things will go well during the season. To be honest, I think it is more important for the start of the season to be able to throw the balls and breaking balls I envision and to be able to control them myself. Results are important, of course, but right now, I feel it would be better to focus on my own condition, address the issues I've identified one by one, and improve them.

In the exhibition game against Nippon-Ham on March 8, he allowed 4 runs in 4 innings with a pitch selection centered on shoots and sliders. In the exhibition game against the Hanshin Tigers on March 17, with the score 0-0 and one out and a runner on second in the first inning, he relentlessly attacked Shota Morishita with inside shoots to get ahead in the count, eventually getting him to swing through a 126 km/h outside slider for a struck out on a half-swing with a 3-ball, 2-strike count, finishing with 2 runs allowed over 5 innings. In the minor league game against Yakult on March 25, he held them to no runs over 5 innings as the closer, successfully earning a spot in the opening rotation.

I feel the tension. I think there is always competition, and I feel that I have to produce results, so it makes me nervous. Anyway, I believe that is where my strength lies, so while I might be very nervous, I hope to stay as calm as possible and build the game effectively.

In his first appearance of the season against Nippon-Ham on April 2, he gave up 6 runs in 6 innings, but on April 9 against the Orix Buffaloes, he held them to 1 run on 6 hits over 5 innings. His two-seam fastball was particularly outstanding in the April 9 game against the Orix Buffaloes. It was brilliant how he made Taishi Hirooka conscious of the inside two-seamer in the first at-bat, and then got him out with outside sliders in the second at-bat (catcher fly) and third at-bat (shortstop double play).

Overall, I was in good form. I was able to control my fastball, shoot, and slider, and the only hits I gave up were to Seymour and Ota. Ota hit it well, but it felt like the opponent was just one step ahead on those hits, as both were on low balls out of the zone. The same goes for Mune and Noguchi. As for Nishikawa's hit, I had him jammed, so that one run was unavoidable, but overall, it was good.

Regarding his weapon, the fork, the third pitch at 139 km/h that struck out the lead-off hitter Seymour swinging from a 2-strike count in the top of the second inning with the score 0-0 was good. 'I feel like there were both good and bad pitches, but looking at it overall, I think the average was good. I think I could compete even better if I could achieve a bit more stability.'

In his next appearance, he started a farm game against Oisix on six days' rest, allowing 1 runs in 6 innings. He then started against Hayate on April 25, pitching 2 scoreless innings as a closer. On April 29 against the Rakuten Eagles and May 6 against the Orix Buffaloes, he started first-team games on six days' rest.

In the game against Nippon-Ham on May 14th, where he started after a seven-day interval, he said, "It had been a while, so I was happy. I was looking at it optimistically, or rather, my job is just to set up the game. I felt that if I kept doing that, the win would come naturally. I held onto that feeling, but there were times when I set up the game but didn't get the win. However, I wasn't worried about that. When I finally got the win, I was very happy." He pitched 8 innings plus, allowing 5 hit and 1 runs, earning his first win in 593 days since the game against the Seibu Lions on September 28, 2024.

In the game against Nippon-Ham on the same day, instead of using the inside shootball to set up the outside slider against right-handed hitters, the distribution of pitches was notable for using the outside slider to get the count and then throwing the inside shootball after getting ahead.

Basically, I think there is a side-to-side shaking of the batter, and of course, there is data, so the way we attack changes depending on the day, but since we didn't reach deep counts, it is hard to say for sure. Players like Reyes are scary when you face them with runners in scoring position, so we were constantly talking about how to set them up. In the first one or two at-bats, I think we were able to build a sequence by using the inside well and seeing how much they were conscious of the slider with fastballs, observing their reaction on the first pitch.

Regarding the fork, which he mentioned would allow him to compete better if it became more stable right after the opening of the season, he said, "The batters' reactions are good. Personally, I want to get more swings and misses to get them struck out, but since I am getting them out as a closer in the end, I think that is fine in its own way."

In the following game against the Rakuten Eagles on May 23, he pitched 5 1/3 innings and was removed from the mound after giving up 6 runs, spending the rest of the time with the farm team.

In the game against Hayate on July 11, where he held them to 4 hit and 1 runs as a closer for 6 innings, there were many cases where he used the curveball as a finishing pitch instead of a fork or slider. For example, in the first inning with one out and no runner in a 0-0 game, he struck out left-handed hitter Shuto Hirao swinging on a rare 123 km/h inside curveball after a 1 ball, 2 strike count. When confirming with Ko Matsukawa, who was the starting catcher that day, he explained, "There were things we wanted to test, so we discussed it. Since the second hitter was being persistent, I thought about using the curveball and called for it. It was a count where we could afford to use a ball, so that is why we used it."

In the Nippon-Ham second-team game on August 23, with two outs and no runner in the 7th inning and a score of 11-4, the 135 km/h outside slider used to have Kane Edokpolo struck out looking on a 1-ball, 2-strike count was faster than the slider he usually throws.

I am practicing with the image of creating a fast, vertical slider, though it has ended up becoming a new fast slider as a result. Since there are few times when my fork is stable and in good condition, I wanted another pitch I could rely on to get swings and misses during those times. Ideally, it would be best if I could get them with the fork, but since that is not going well, I feel like I should try practicing something new.

Regarding the intention behind starting to throw a fast slider, he explained, "There are good days and bad days for the fork, so a day might come when it is not working. If that happens, it would be difficult to compete using only the fastball, slider, and shootball, so I wanted another pitch I could rely on. Of course, I will still use the fork even when it is good, but I think I need one more pitch right now to stabilize my performance and manage the game somehow."

Even after entering September, the 130 km/h outside slider on the 8th pitch, which struck out Masahiro Tateishi looking on a 3-ball 2-strike count with one out and a runner on third in the 3rd inning of the Hanshin Tigers farm team game on the 5th while trailing 0-1, was excellent.

Regarding the vertical slider used in appearances since September, he revealed, "The way it breaks is different between right-handed and left-handed hitters, so I want to somehow make that consistent. I have a good feel for it, and there are moments where I'm getting swings and misses with the slider against right-handed batters, so I think if I can get it on a similar trajectory against lefties, I could get a few more swings and misses. However, when it's a lefty, I'm not sure if it's a visual issue, but my throwing form changes and it ends up being a foul ball. I'm thinking about how to make that consistent."

◆ Fully prepared for the first-team start

In the game against the Seibu Lions on October 5th, the opportunity to start for the first team came around for the first time since the game against the Rakuten Eagles on May 23rd. From the first inning, the pitcher retired the Seibu Lions lineup with a good tempo and a strike-first pitch. In the 3rd inning with two outs and a runner on second in a 0-0 game, the 139 km/h outside slider used to get Canario to swing and struck out after two strikes was a ball practiced in the farm league.

"I'm glad. I think both Kanario and Watanabe showed good reactions," he reflected.

I think it was good because I was carefully hitting the corners. Although a few pitches went high, there were few that went into the sweet spot, so in terms of probability, I think it was good, he said. The slider from the outside to the left-handed hitter, which he was throwing as a count pitch, was also excellent.

While the Seibu Lions lineup was hitting from early counts, he said, "That was good too. Genda's grounder to short stop was good, but that was also good," as he struck out the lead-off batter Shinya Hasegawa swinging with a 141 km/h fork on a two-strike count in the top of the third inning with the score at 0-0.

His fastball and shootball were both reaching speeds close to 150 km/h, and he felt positive about his performance, saying, 'It was good. Even when I was with the farm team, I was able to throw my straight pitches with a pretty good feel, so I think it was good that I could pitch without being too tense in my first appearance with the first squad in a while.'

He strongly appealed to the coaching staff and The Marines fans that he can still perform, holding the Seibu Lions lineup to 1 runs on 2 hit, 3 strike out, and 2 BB over 7 innings and 69 pitches.

Motivation during the farm period

Although he had been with the farm team since the game against the Rakuten Eagles on May 23, he pitched into the ninth inning in the game against Nippon-Ham on May 14, and also achieved a quality start (within 3 earned runs in 6 innings) by allowing 2 runs in 6 innings in the game against the Orix Buffaloes on May 6. One wonders if there were any emotional ups and downs.

There were quite a few ups and downs. I also had my own injuries. But I just have to do it, and seeing people like Karakawa-san and Kado-san, I feel like I have to keep going. Both of them tell me that I can still do it, so I want to live up to the expectations of people like that.

Even watching the pre-game practice on the farm, he seemed to be showing through his actions that he is determined to be a solid mentor for the young pitchers.

I wonder. It is not like I am doing it intentionally to show off, but I have always tried to avoid showing myself in an unseemly way. In that sense, I think I have been able to approach it with a solid attitude.

This autumn, Katsuya Kakunaka, who is three years his senior, and Yuki Karakawa, who is one year his senior and with whom he played for a long time, have retired from active duty. Takuya Nakashima of Nippon-Ham and Yuki Nishi of the Hanshin Tigers, both part of the '1990 generation' like Nishino, have also hung up their uniforms this season.

In an interview on September 20, 2024, when asked if he still felt like playing until the very end of the '90s generation,' he replied, 'No (laughs).' Two years have passed since then, and when asked the same question again, he said firmly, 'I definitely want to keep going as long as I can.'

I want to continue until I am satisfied, or rather, until I can judge for myself that I can no longer pitch. There are expectations from those around me, and I want to be able to meet them. While it is true that I might be older, I am not that pessimistic about it; I think it is just a number, so I want to keep going as long as I believe I can still compete.

While a wave of generational change is surging, Yuji Nishino showed his worth through results at the very end. Next season, I want to see him win the competition and appear on the first-team mound many times.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita