Softbank Hawks pitcher Taiga Kamichatani looked forward to facing DeNA's Sano on the 18th. On this day, he participated in pitcher practice at Mizuho PayPay Dome. It was decided that in the Japan Series starting on the 24th, he will face his former team, DeNA, where he played until 2024.

In 2026, he started the season as a reliever and worked at full capacity as a starter from mid-July. When asked which hitter he would like to face, he replied, 'Sano-san. He is in incredible form right now.' He then prefaced his next comment by saying, 'This is a complete change of subject,' and confessed that he received strong support during their time as teammates: 'Sano-san used to hit so much when I was pitching. Over my six years with DeNA, his average was around .400 or .500.' He recalled with a smile, 'It even appeared on breaking news sites. They would write things like, "Today's starter is Kamichatani. Keep an eye on Sano, who hits over .500 when Kamichatani is on the mound." It was written just like that.'

Regarding the upcoming matchup, he declared a head-on battle with a sense of resolve, saying, 'When we faced each other about twice in simulated batting practice, he hit about two doubles off me. I don't know if our compatibility is good or bad, but our timing seems to match up. I think he'll probably get a lot of hits off me, but I want to face him.' Now in his eighth year as a professional, he is eagerly looking forward to his first-ever appearance in the Japan Series.