The Orix Buffaloes finished the 2026 season in the B-class for the first time in two years. There is no doubt that the slump in the pitcher department had a major impact, as indicated by the league-worst team ERA of 3.96. We spoke with coach Kazuyuki Atsuzawa, who was in charge of the pitcher staff, about the behind-the-scenes management of the pitcher rotation.

“Saying that the standings were poor because of many injuries is nothing more than an excuse.” Coach Atsuzawa, who is in charge of the first-team pitcher staff, acknowledged the responsibility for the results. It is not difficult to imagine that the team faced a difficult internal situation this season due to the high number of injuries. Coach Atsuzawa reflected, “Injuries occur in every team, but while we were preparing for them, there were simply too many irregular occurrences throughout the year.”

Coach Atsuzawa describes this season's pitcher situation by saying, 'Supply could not keep up with demand.' He explained, 'In rotating the pitchers, the cycle was faster than anything I have ever experienced. I intended to manage the entire year with the idea that every pitcher, including developmental players, was a key asset, but in a word, both the planned rotation and the reliever rotation moved incredibly fast. As a pitcher coach, that is where you show your skill, and I always have players ready to cover those situations, but the cycle was simply too rapid.' For a pitcher coach who plans the starting rotation, reliever, and closer cycles on short, medium, and long-term bases, unexpected events like injuries are factored in to some extent. However, a succession of irregularities—such as more injuries than anticipated and delays in returning from rehabilitation—troubled even the highly experienced Coach Atsuzawa, including his bullpen management.

A 'negative cycle' that exceeded expectations. He revealed, 'There were several games where we had no choice but to put pitchers on the mound even though they needed a bit more preparation before appearing in the first-team games. We have to reduce those instances as much as possible, but we still need a certain number of players. It is a reality that we have to put together the best lineup for that day, and it is also a reality that we have to win. In this world, results are everything. We aren't putting the team together with the intention of losing.'

The decision to move pitcher Naruki Teranishi, who had been used primarily as a starter since the beginning of the season, to a reliever role in late April and then back to a starter in late July was made to cope with a faster rotation cycle than expected. 'We used Teranishi as a reliever, and I believe that is why pitchers like Soichiro Yamazaki and Ren Mukunoki were able to hold out until the end. If we had one more person there, we could have managed the rotation more easily. However, since the starting pitcher rotation stopped working, we had Teranishi return to being a starter.' The ability to establish a winning formula of Yamazaki-Mukunoki-Machado was only possible because of Teranishi's presence, as he fulfilled various roles for the team's win.

From the second half of the season, the roles of Coach Atsuzawa, who was in charge of the bench, and Coach Motoki Higa, who was in charge of the bullpen, were swapped. 'We finished the first half with a .500 winning percentage, and when I was looking for something to change the flow—not necessarily a spark, but something—that option came to mind. When I thought about what was needed for the team right now, there was no guarantee it would be a plus, but I felt we had to make something happen.' In addition to picking up wins through bullpen work—such as converting pitcher Daiki Tajima into a reliever and moving Yamazaki to the 8th inning in place of Mukunoki starting in September—there was also the benefit of allowing Coach Higa, who had no starting experience during his playing days, to gain experience in managing pitcher substitutions from the bench.

Coach Atsuzawa has been confirmed to continue supporting Manager Mamoru Kishida in his third year next season. While his specific role for next season is not yet known, during autumn training he was seen actively speaking to and providing form guidance to young pitchers such as Kaisei Tomatsu and Kyosuke Saito. Expectations are high for Coach Atsuzawa's skills once again to return the pitcher rotation cycle, which has exceeded expectations, back to normal.

Interview and text by Masaki Kitano