Lotte's autumn practice was held at Zozo Marine Stadium on the 13th.

Koki Yamaguchi, who hit 38 Home Run this season, the most in a single season since the move to Zozo Marine Stadium, did long tee practice with Naonori Yasuda and Daito Yamamoto after the overall team batting practice ended.

Yamaguchi was selected for the Japan national team for the 'Luxas Asia Professional baseball Championship 2026.' Regarding the autumn practice period leading up to joining the team, he expressed his determination, saying, 'I think the amount of swinging will increase from here, so I want to focus on quality while making sure I swing a solid amount.'

"I feel like I'm at a stage that's a bit different from the time when I could just swing away. The battle for next year has already begun, so I think I need to make adjustments with that in mind, as well as for Team Japan," he said. With his direction clearly set, both his expression and his words were extremely reassuring.

The manager of Samurai Japan is Tadahito Iguchi, who led Lotte from 2018 to 2022. Yamaguchi also entered the professional ranks through the 2018 draft during Iguchi's tenure as Lotte manager and played under him for four years. Regarding the opportunity to play under Manager Iguchi again for the first time in a while, Yamaguchi expressed his joy, saying, 'I'm happy! I'm so glad we can work together again!'

Daito Yamamoto: "Solidifying my form"

Daito Yamamoto, who is expected to be a long-range hitter alongside Yamaguchi next season, was hitting awkwardly during today's batting practice against a left-handed pitcher, sending balls toward right field while getting jammed.

Yamamoto explained his intention, saying, "I was focusing on the opposite field, or rather, the center fielder. The pitch was on the inside, but I was conscious of hitting it toward the opposite direction and focused on my body's rotation."

Last season, he hit 11 Home Runs, including his first professional Home Run, but this season he hit 4 Home Runs. Analyzing his batting this season, he said, 'I think I struggled with my form, or rather, because my fundamentals weren't solid, it didn't lead to results.' He is facing his challenges, stating, 'This autumn, I want to focus on solidifying my fundamentals. I believe this is something I can only do this autumn, so I hope to build a strong foundation and have it feel right by next spring.'

I wonder if having right-handed hitters of a similar age, such as Yamaguchi, Misho Nishikawa, and Kota Inoue, provides significant motivation during practice.

Since there are many right-handed batters among my rivals on the team, I don't think much of it during practice, but I definitely want to be the one out there playing in the games.

Looking ahead to next season, he intends to arrive at next year's spring training having found 'his own form,' stating, 'I want to solidify my form. Since I struggled during the season, I think it's about acquiring a new form for myself.' To that end, he is currently swinging the bat to build his own style.

◆ Ryusei Miyazaki: "I want to make a strong impression so that I can be in the starting lineup."

In his second professional season this year, Ryusei Miyazaki, who appeared in 45 games—more than last season—primarily as a pinch runner and defense specialist, was seen catching fly balls not only in his natural infield position but also as a center fielder on this day.

While he stated there was "no particular reason," he revealed, "Since I was suddenly assigned to the outfield during the exhibition games, I felt I should practice catching while I have the chance." In fact, he played left field during the exhibition game against the Seibu Lions on March 15th.

In terms of batting, he often spoke about 'dealing with first-team pitchers' fastballs' since last season, but since autumn, he intends to study pitch distribution as well, stating, 'I will continue to place importance on the fastball, but since I'm becoming able to hit it, I think it would be good if I could work while thinking about things like breaking balls and what kind of approach to take depending on the count.'

"I want to prepare myself in terms of defense so that I can perform at a high level no matter which position I am assigned, and I want to make a strong appeal in batting so that I can be in the starting line-up," he said, as he continues to polish both his offense and defense to secure a spot in the starting line-up.

Interview and text by Yuta Iwashita