Orix Buffaloes pitcher Soichiro Yamazaki (28) vowed on the 11th to 're-master the curveball.' In his 10th season this year, he completed the full season with the first team, recording 25 holds and a 2.21 ERA in 52 games. He expressed confidence, saying, 'It was a good season as I was able to achieve my goal (number of games),' and looked ahead to further growth.

Both his fastball, which consistently exceeds 150 kilometers, and his 'Forche'—a ball halfway between a fork and a change-up—have improved in precision. 'I had confidence. It was very good,' he said, recording 56 strike outs, which is three more than his total innings pitched for the season. However, the curveball he had been practicing since the end of last season has not yet reached a level where he can throw it with confidence in a game. Ideally, it would break sharply in the 120-kilometer range, and he is currently in a process of trial and error starting from catch, stating, 'If I can use it as a pitch to change the hitter's eye level, it will become a great weapon. I'm going to give it a try.'

Machado, who recorded a league-leading 35 saves, has an uncertain future for next season. 'If I am to be a reliever, that (the 9th inning) is my goal.' With high aspirations, he aims to become a flawless, hard-throwing pitcher. (Shunta Nambu)